Martial Arts Master - Cuttlefish That Loves Diving
Martial Arts Master - Cuttlefish That Loves Diving - Ongoing 301 To 450

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Martial Arts Master

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     Description Martial Arts Master
      Here martial arts are no longer intangible legends. They have been passed on from generation to generation and from century to century. After the confrontation with science and technology, they have completely integrated into modern society and all kinds of martial arts competitions are taking place across the country as superiority among scholars are hard to reach a consensus but not as difficult among martial artists! Lou Cheng has inherited the lost skills of the greatest martial arts sect. Towards his original dream and the glory in his heart, he advances step by step, becoming the warrior of this modern city and the hero of the era! 武道宗师


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     301 Lou Cheng“s Attitude
      In the morning, it was not very hot as a cool breeze was blowing by the lake. Hearing Lou Cheng's request, Geezer Shi became happy.


      "I know you can't help yourself. Even before you have mastered the martial arts of the Dan stage, you want to awaken a new supernatural ability. Just do it. I'll help you and be right by your side. Nothing will happen to you."


      "Hehe." Lou Cheng simply laughed without further explanation.


      After seeing his master's power in the "snowy mountain", Lou Cheng completely believed in his strength.


      As for the problem of which supernatural ability he should improve first, he had already analyzed the advantages and disadvantages. He had made a decision.


      "The Power of Frost!"


      He chose it just because people always chose the lesser of two evils. Human beings are better at withstanding the cold than resisting the burning of a flame.


      If I suppress the Jindan this time, something will come out other than a hot current and a cold wave. There may be some substantial changes to those things.


      After Lou Cheng had thought about those things, he began to meditate to calm his mind and then walked toward the lake to prevent causing a fire.


      First, he adjusted his fascia, his muscles, the five viscera, and six bowels to create the burning feeling brought about by the Prairie Fire Diagram, and to expand the Power of Blaze in his body, which was strong enough to change a "stream" into a "tide".


      Then by visualizing the beast-headed and human-bodied Zhu Rong, who stepped on the fire dragon, he imitated Zhu Rong commanding the flame and suppressing the tyrannical power and changed is body movements and spirit. This helped him control the blaze that was about to fly away.


      "Bam! Bam! Bam!" He punched to the left and right and bombed the air in front of him constantly. His fists were powerful enough to blow up the red blaze, which looked like fireworks from a distance.


      Geezer Shi stood by his side, holding a silver flagon. He leisurely enjoyed drinking the liquor brought to him by his own apprentice.


      He did not know many fists he punched out, but he made the air increase to such a high temperature that it distorted the light and made the vicinity around him look like a vague, illusory dream. Until now, Lou Cheng had used his Power of Blaze to the limit and had consumed almost all of it.



      He did not hesitate and continued to firmly repeat the previous process. He twisted his waist and swung his arms. While visualizing Zhu Rong, he threw a blast punch forward.


      Bang!


      The airflow scattered, which affected the Jindan in Lou Cheng's body. At first, it expanded to make its own nebula brighten to the fullest, and then it quickly retracted and shook out several layers of the "great sun", making them turn into the Fire Meteor which followed the force and rushed outward.


      Boom! The waves roared on the lake. A fire pillar suddenly rose up several meters high surrounded by a white gas, which produced a scene that looked imaginary.


      "This..." Geezer Shi opened his mouth halfway and was so shocked that he even forgot to pour the alcohol into it.


      Is this the performance of the supernatural ability of the Seventh or Eighth Pin?


      Even the abilities in the Inhuman Level couldn't create such a tremendous power!


      The fire pillar quickly scattered and turned into a fire wave that covered the area of the lake near the shore, making it seem like the lake had put on a red robe. About five seconds later, everything returned to normal.


      On the bridge, several students who were going to study in the teaching area rubbed their eyes and gave up the idea of calling the fireman because they suspected that they were hallucinating.


      However, at that moment, the Jindan rotated in balance and flung out the extra ice crystals one by one to disintegrate into the coldness and released it to the host body.


      Lou Cheng lost his consciousness directly. He could neither see nor hear anything.


      Then the hot current poured in from the Baihui Acupoint on his head to protect his brain and his heart, and he slowly recovered from the frozen feeling. He then heard his heart beating violently and his blood running through his body like a rapidly flowing river. At that time, he experienced the "natural change", which was like ice floating on a lake that melted gradually.


      After a few seconds, his Qi and blood strengthened, which softened the coldness and also gave birth to the vitality that revived "everything".


      "Cold... Cold... It's so cold." With his teeth chattering, he was shivering because of the cold. He saw his master retract his left hand from his head.


      Geezer Shi furrowed his white brows. "Fortunately, you did not try it by yourself... Wait until next month to try to awaken the Power of Blaze..."


      Lou Cheng quivered and nodded. He totally agreed with his master's opinion.


      If my master hadn't been at my side helping me, I would have probably suffered from severe frostbite and that would affect my organs. Even if I didn't die from this, I would have still lost my health.


      The boomerang of Jindan is several times more severe than I expected!


      Fortunately, I didn't flaunt my superiority this time!


      It would be much safer to awaken the Power of Blaze if he waited until the body could adapt to the "frost" and improve its strength.


      "If you awakened the supernatural ability for the third time, I guess that thing in your body would collapse by itself, so the damage would be very frightening. If you don't have a strong physique that is physically invulnerable, never try it," Geezer Shi reminded him. But he then smiled and said, "Do you want to drink a sip of alcohol to warm you up?"


      Hey, haven't you already decided to quit drinking?


      "No, I have hot water." Lou Cheng finally was able to talk.


      "I know, your girlfriend has been waiting for you there the whole time." After Geezer Shi made fun of him and put his bottle away, he then walked toward the long bridge with his hands clasped behind his back.


      My apprentice's awakening process of supernatural ability is a little weird... I still don't know enough about this Cultivation, so I need to remind them to get me some information as soon as possible...


      When he left, he coughed twice intentionally to remind the girl in the woods.


      Yan Zheke blushed because he had poked fun at her. She walked toward Lou Cheng, carrying the down jacket and the thermos cup. While helping Lou Cheng put on his clothes, she asked with great concern,


      "Are you okay?"


      She knew that Lou Cheng would try to awaken the Power of Frost today. Although she knew that Coach Shi would guard him so nothing would happen to him, she still worried about him and could not calm down. She finally chose to make sufficient preparations and wait for him nearby.


      "Fortunately, my master helped me by my side..." Lou Cheng did not directly speak of the danger that he had just encountered.


      He took the thermos cup handed over by his girlfriend and could not wait to take a sip of water. He felt the warmth go down his throat and spread out, making him feel very comfortable.


      "Hoo." Yan Zheke was relieved and glanced at her boyfriend. "Why are you so eager to awaken that supernatural ability? Your speed of improving martial arts has not slowed down."


      Even though she had asked him, she seemed to have guessed Lou Cheng's thoughts. He had chosen to awaken his supernatural ability because he wanted to catch up with Peng Leyun as soon as possible. However, if he waited until Peng Leyun achieved the Inhuman Level, it would be much more difficult for Lou Cheng to defeat him before he graduated from university.


      "You should know why I'm so eager to awaken the supernatural ability," Lou replied with a smile. He took it for granted and drank the hot water again.


      Yan Zheke pursed her mouth and looked at him angrily. But then she began to smile and shifted the topic. "After this awakening, how much could your Power of Frost increase?"


      "My physical ability has not recovered yet, so I don't know. But I know even if I don't use the method of Frost Force, I can still hurt people only with the supernatural ability, but the effect may not be so good." Having completely recovered, Lou Cheng stretched his body.


      Yan Zheke nodded and suddenly smiled. "Yan Xiaoling went to the Martial Arts Club."


      "What?" Lou Cheng had a dumb look on his face.


      "She is 'Eternal Nightfall', the moderator of your forum. She has posted a live show about her visit to our Martial Arts Club," Yan Zheke said while looking at her boyfriend with a smile.


      Lou Cheng did not know why, but he was a little frightened by her smile. He said with a forced smile, "Idols should keep a distance from their fans. Otherwise, the fans will find all sorts of flaws in the idol, so the fans would at first stop loving the idol, and then hate the idol."


      "What are you talking about? I did not mention anything." Yan Zheke blinked innocently, but the corners of her mouth curved slightly upward.


      Lou Cheng quickly switched to a serious face. "I just expressed my own viewpoint and principles. Well, Zheke, do you want to participate in the Amateur Ranking Event held in the middle of this month?"


      Yan Zheke did not stick to the previous topic. She looked up and shook her head. "No. Well, because you always praise me, now I have even become arrogant. I now think it'll be easy for me to win the Ranking Event of Amateur First Pin and it won't help me to practice my ability in actual battles, so I don't want to participate in it. I plan to register for the Ranking Event of Professional Ninth Pin held at the end of October."


      "That could be rather difficult for you." Lou Cheng told her the truth.


      After Yan Zheke began to really understand the Internal Training Methods, her physical state improved rapidly. With the unique martial arts moves of her family, her overall strength had indeed exceeded a fighter of Amateur First Pin. But to get the certificate of Professional Ninth Pin was still hard for her. After a few months when she had basically mastered the Meteor force, she would have a higher possibility to win the certificate.


      "I know, I never thought that I could get the certificate this time. I only want to fight with the experts so that I can practice and temper myself." Yan Zheke spoke with her eyes bright in an excited tone.


      She was enthusiastic about martial arts.


      "Okay then. This month, you need to find some opportunities to fight and to beat two Amateur First Pin fighters. Otherwise, you can't register for the ranking event." Lou Cheng mended his clothes and drank up the hot water. He pulled the girl's hand while walking toward the long bridge and, with his smile and his gait, he looked very carefree. "At that time, I'll book the hotel and ensure all the logistics for you to participate in the Ranking Event of Professional Ninth Pin!"


      Hearing those words, Yan Zheke could not help but recall the previous experience—the scene which was somewhat touching, somewhat warm, and also sexy. She subconsciously turned to look to the other side and took a sip, but she did not say anything.


      I hope that stupid Cheng can hold in his desires and doesn't influence my condition for the match.


      As for the time after my match, well, it depends on his behavior...


      Lou Cheng understood his girlfriend's attitude, so he was so glad and full of expectations.


      After the term began, they could stay together every day, but simultaneously, they lost the space in which they could be alone with each other. Lou Cheng respected his girlfriend, so he would not do anything that would cross the line. He was still looking forward to staying together with Yan Zheke because he already knew how great he felt when he made out with her.


      Oh, you can't have it both ways...


      Following this topic, the moment she stepped on the long bridge, Yan Zheke asked Lou Cheng curiously, "Cheng, do you want to participate in the Ranking Event of Professional Seventh Pin at the end of October?"


      That was the ranking event on a large scale and it was not held in Songcheng.


      "Probably not." Lou Cheng did not conceal his plans.


      "Why?" Yan Zheke was quite surprised.


      From her point of view, with Lou Cheng's martial arts improvement rate and the practicing methods and martial arts of the Dan stage that he mastered, he could definitely advance by leaps and bounds during the two months before the end of October. Also, because his supernatural ability would be advanced to the second degree, he would have many possibilities to get the certificate of Seventh Pin, so he did not need to wait until April next year.


      She believed in Lou Cheng very much.


      "I want to give Peng Leyun a surprise," Lou Cheng said as he exhaled and shared his real thoughts with her.


      Once I participate in the Ranking Event held at the end of October and in early November, all my strengths and weaknesses will be exposed...


      It's no big deal. I can register for the Ranking Event of Professional Sixth Pin directly because my winning record is sufficient.


      If I told others this plan instead of my fairy, would they definitely laugh at me and call me naive?


      "To give Peng Leyun a surprise?" Yen Zheke again looked up at him. "Do you want to leave him in the shadow of failure in the district contest?"


      "Yes, but I can't do it on my own. I have to cooperate with your cousin." Lou Cheng looked ahead and took off the jacket. Even though he was very weak and powerless, he still went steadily. "Peng Leyun will probably still be at the level of Profession Sixth Pin before the winter vacation. This is our chance.


      "By that time, I also will have made progress in all aspects and I will achieve at least the level of the top Seventh Pin. What's more, your cousin will not be too slow. I guess he'll also achieve at least the Seventh Pin. So we can fight with him by using attrition warfare, which can help us defeat Peng Leyun who goes so smoothly after entering the university. In addition, we can suppress his will, affect his confidence to win, and delay his speed of breaking into the Inhuman Level by defeating him.


      "Only in this way, we won't be confronted with a monster who is strong enough to defeat everyone in the national match held in April next year and we will retain our hope!"


      Hearing those words, Yan Zheke turned to look at Lou Cheng next to her. Looking at his profile and his firm and straight eyesight, she suddenly lost her mind. It took a few seconds for her to recover, and then she smiled.


      "Didn't you say that you don't care about those topics about the favored fighter of the age?"


      Lou Cheng laughed and answered honestly,


      "Which fighter is not eager to win?"


      I'm also a fighter!


      I don't care too much. I am not blindly arrogant. But it doesn't mean I fight so hard to prove Peng Leyun's talent!




     You are reading
     Martial Arts Master
      ebook which is a free download at
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     302 Shanbei and Sanjiang
      Lou Cheng was still weak since he had yet to completely recover from his severe illness, so Yan Zheke forced him to relax in his dorm.


      He sniffed and opened the door, discovering that Old Qiu and Qiu Zhigao were still in the dorm.


      "Haven't you gone to study?" Lou Cheng asked in surprise while putting down his jacket and thermos cup.


      Pigs might fly if Old Qiu abandoned his pet phrase "plan your day as soon as you wake up in the morning".


      While staring at the computer screen while constantly shifting the mouse, Qiu Zhigao replied without looking up,


      "I'm waiting for the ticket!"


      "For what?" Lou Cheng laughed as he opened his wardrobe, folded his jacket, and tucked it into the corner.


      "The ticket for Mo Jingting's vocal concert! There's going to be a scramble for it at half past nine!" said Qiu Zhigao while staring fixedly at the webpage.


      Old Qiu had started looking for a girlfriend as soon as he entered college. Unluckily, on the one hand, girls who wanted to pursue him all failed to meet his standards. On the other hand, the ones he was attracted to were not interested in him at all. So he had to remain single, devoting all his energy into his studies and idols.


      Mo Jingting? Lou Cheng twisted his lips slightly and smiled before asking, "Where's the vocal concert?"


      Since he came back to Xing province from Moshang, his little niece Mo hadn't contacted him as frequently as before except sending a message occasionally as proof of her existence. For Lou Cheng it was indeed good news because he didn't have enough energy to deal with other girls.


      "In Songcheng, don't you know that? It was announced officially several days ago that in November she would hold a vocal concert in Songcheng! I can't miss it!" Old Qiu replied excitedly, "Time is up, time is up…"


      "Songcheng…" Lou Cheng frowned and soon beamed again.


      It doesn't matter. It occurred to Lou Cheng that the Universities Martial Arts competition kicked off in November. With their previous record, most of the games would be away from home, and he wouldn't be in Songcheng for the weekend.


      It would be perfect because he could avoid encountering Mo Jingting!



      According to his master, Lin Que and he would take turns being the key player in the first half of the district contest in order to train the substitutes.


      "Of course, otherwise, why would I bother waiting to book the ticket? What a chance this is!" Old Qiu said. Suddenly, he felt blue, "Qin Mo intends to buy second-hand tickets at a higher price!"


      "If you fail this time, will you also buy a second-hand ticket?" Lou Cheng asked with a smile, and then climbed onto the bed and covered himself with the quilt.


      Old Qiu was left gnashing his teeth in anger.


      "Of course! It just requires me to save money for several days!"


      That's true love! Lou Cheng said to himself.


      Old Qiu's family situation was average, just like Lou Cheng's before he came into contact with martial arts. As a student, with no stable income, he still relied on his parents.


      So he had no choice but to economize on food.


      Lou Cheng stopped talking so he would not disturb Old Qiu. Taking out his cellphone, he found a photo sent by Yan Zheke, in which the girl was cleaning her dorm.


      Smiling, Lou Cheng quickly typed praises to his fairy.


      While the girl was busy cleaning, Lou Cheng logged in Longhu Club's forum to scan the news of the top professional tournaments and news about Mighty title-holders such as Dragon King.


      As a fighter who had set physical invulnerability as his goal, Lou Cheng focused on it not only as something he was interested in but also because it was closely related to him!


      Lou Cheng still didn't have enough fans in his own forum, so they seldom focus on other fighters, offering him very little news on this subject.


      "Could some experts tell me which house layout is better?" The first post that came into Lou Cheng's eyes reminded him of his mom.


      One month had passed since she announced the decision to buy a new house, but obviously, she hadn't found the house yet and had even expanded the search to other areas beyond their old neighborhood.


      What a bore… Luckily I have transferred the 400 thousand to her… Complaining about his mom silently, Lou Cheng began to take account of his savings.


      On the one hand, his private instruction fee had increased to 3000 per hour. The crowds' enthusiasm had died down and he only earned 40,000 yuan this time around. On the other hand, the part-time job brought him 20,000 yuan, so the balance in his account was now around 290,000 yuan after he deducted his expenditures. Lou Cheng didn't need to worry about money for the time being.


      He browsed through the post, taking notes on all the useful information. He planned to call his mum tonight so that he could guide her.


      As he exited the post, he saw a hot post from "Unparalleled Dragon King":


      "Favored fighter of the age, the battle is about to begin. Lou Cheng VS Peng Leyun!"


      Er… They still had two months to go before the opening ceremony of the University Martial Arts Competition, and at least three months before their match with Shanbei. So why was there someone paying attention to this right now? This topic had even become hot in such a popular forum like Longhu Club! Lou Cheng took a deep breath.


      At this moment, Old Qiu jumped out and shouted cheerfully,


      "I got the ticket! I got the ticket!"


      ...


      In the male dormitory area of Shanbei University.


      Xu Wannian, the Martial Arts Club manager, was standing outside the dormitory building and browsing through the news of "Heavenly Sones Competition," forwarded by someone on his phone.


      I'm really looking forward to it! He said to himself and then called Peng Leyun.


      "Junior brother Peng, hurry down! The training's going to start and we're all waiting for you!"


      "Okay!" Peng Leyun answered concisely.


      Before the sound of Peng Leyun's voice had died away, Xu Wannian saw a window in the fifth floor burst open as a figure jumped down through it.


      "There he goes again…" said Xu Wannian while sighing with his hands on his face. In the background, he could hear some freshmen screaming,


      "Someone jumped off a building!"


      "Someone jumped off a building!"


      All of a sudden, the figure, while in midair. expanded as he stretched out both arms, like an eagle, and glided gracefully before he landed.


      The moment he stepped onto the ground, there seemed to be a small earthquake.


      "Let's go." taking advantage of the rebound, Peng Leyun flitted to Xu Wannian's side and greeted him with a smile.


      Taking a glance at where he landed, Xu Wannian didn't find any obvious traces left, which shocked him and left him singing the praises of this junior brother.


      He was getting more and more powerful!


      There was dead silence. All the freshmen around looked as if they had seen a monster.


      Just then, the dorm supervisor rushed out and yelled,


      "Peng Leyun! Why didn't you take the stairs again!"


      "What if you scared someone?"


      Instead of acting like an elegant but indifferent master, Peng Leyun shrugged and put on an embarrassed smile and said, "I was thinking about a problem, a very difficult one, and out of habit I took the shortcut."


      A shortcut? All the freshmen around widely opened their mouth in astonishment.


      Xu Wannian could barely keep a smile off of his face as he apologized to the supervisor of the dorm.


      "I'll keep an eye on him!"


      After saying this, he hurriedly left the "crime scene" with Peng Leyun.


      "What do you think about the post?" he asked, handing over a cellphone without mentioning what had just happened since he was already quite used to it.


      Peng Leyun looked through it and then laughed and said,


      "Quite interesting. Everything will be okay as long as you don't encounter Lou Cheng."


      "Yeah, the idea of my supernatural ability being subdued by him worries me. Luckily, Fang also has Big Dan now," replied Xu Wannian.


      As his Corvine Mouth supernatural ability had been enhanced gradually, he had a good chance to defeat an eighth-pin or even seventh-pin warrior to some extent. However, once his supernatural ability was subdued, his professional-ninth-pin body condition was absolutely unable to resist the attack from a dan-stage fighter.


      At this point, he couldn't help gossiping," Junior brother Peng, when are you going to get to the inhuman level? I heard that Ren Li will soon reach Sixth Pin, and Lou Cheng is catching up fast."


      The championship of the upcoming Martial Arts Competition will be fierce. But everything would be easier if his junior brother could just step up a higher level.


      As for whether Ren Li and Lou Cheng would also reach the inhuman level in the next session, it was not his concern since he would soon graduate from the university!


      His face was clean, his eyes clear. Peng Leyun looked up at the skies and murmured to himself,


      "When…"


      The light in his eyes gradually emptied, and his movements became diffused, as if moving forward by instinct, but he was able to dodge obstacles like trees, stones, and frolicking students.


      Ah, junior brother Peng has gone into a trance again, even when he was walking…" said Xu Wannian while sighing. He turned his thoughts from the Martial Arts Competition to the red-light district of Pingjiang, as well as the girls there.


      Pulling down his collarband, Xu Wangnian felt his body heating up.


      ...


      In the only campus of Sanjaing.


      Qu Hui, who wore a white shirt today, was floating 30cm off the ground in his Martial Arts Club Office.


      Looking at the group in front of him, he put on a faint smile and said, "Well, what do you think of this discussion?"


      All the leading players and substitutes of the Martial Arts Club remained silent with their heads dropped down, as if they had done something wrong and dared not say anything.


      "Luo Haizhe, you speak first." Qu Hui had the authority to look down on others since he was also the Martial Arts Club's coach.


      Luo Haizhe was tall and simple, the childishness of his face had faded. He touched his half-bald head and replied,


      "Those beasts of Songcheng University are growing too fast. Last year it was a walkover, this year they have two dan-stage warriors, and Lou Cheng is close to Seventh Pin."


      It was just like a nightmare!


      Of course, there were talented fighters and Mighty Ones in the university martial arts circle. However, Dan-stage warriors were still scarcely seen in most schools. All in all, Dan stage was the real entry-level of martial arts. Though Sanjiang was a famous university with several professional-ninth-pin warriors in the previous sessions, no graduate had ever become a Big Dan and let Qi arise from within their body!


      So, how difficult was it to reach Dan stage?


      Given the fact that two students of Songcheng University Martial Arts Club had reached Dan stage within one year, wasn't that the same as cheating?


      "It was because of their talent, and we can't do anything about it no matter how envious we are." Qu Hui crossed his arms and said insincerely. Then, all of a sudden, his facial expression changed and he said, "Haizhe, you are actually talented. Even if you aren't Peng Leyun, Ren Li, Lou Cheng or Lin Que's match, and can't reach the inhuman level. You are sure to get to the Dan stage. But look at yourself now, you're such a playboy! You'd better stay away from your evil associates!"


      "Okay," Lou Haizhe replied and lowered his head.


      This was his greatest shortcoming. He couldn't deny it.


      After scolding Luo Haizhe, Qu Hui turned his gaze to another team member and frowned before saying,


      "Be careful. You are also likely to reach the Dan stage. Don't you want to take a step further before graduation? Then you'll have a good life in the future."


      Yin Xiangxi put on a wry smile and said, "We've known each other for more than three years and you know my character."


      He was famous for his radical fighting style, being at ease, never using any defensive play unless it was absolutely necessary.


      Because of this shortcoming, he had been injured several times in the recent years even though the referees had stopped him in time. His talent was also wasted since he was unable to keep practicing martial arts.


      They were all troublemakers… Qu Hui stared at the cellphone on the table without saying more to them.


      In the discussion of this division, they only mentioned Shanbei and Songcheng University. The fighters they mentioned were Peng Leyun, Fang Zhirong, Lou Cheng, and Lin Que, which meant they had totally ignored Sanjiang College! They had totally ignored Qu Hui!


      Sorry, I've also reached the Dan stage and improved my supernatural ability!


      Shanbei, Songcheng University, just wait for my surprise!




     You are reading
     Martial Arts Master
      ebook which is a free download at
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     .


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     303 The 13th Movemen
      When the freshmen began their military training three days later, Lou Cheng had made a full recovery from the boomerang effect. He stood at Weishui Lake with eager eyes, waiting for his master to teach him something about Dan stage.


      He focused on rehabilitative practice in his two recent morning training.


      Pacing back and forth with both hands behind him, Geezer Shi snickered. "Not bad. You managed to be patient, only asking this now. As for the Dan stage, we all have a common understanding that it's about inheriting the past and ushering in the future. How should I put it? You should keep your concealment of spirit and qi simple and still. Direct it towards your own spirit refining. That means to combine your spirit with qi, blood, and force as a preparation for connecting heaven and earth. Second, you should surpass the limit of your physical body and mortal condition to refine your root pulp. Third, after doing all these, your speed, responsiveness, coordination and body-controlling ability will be greatly enhanced. You can then combine the basic skill of gathering strength with the corresponding body moves to form real movements."


      "Combine them to form real moves?" Lou Cheng asked, confused.


      Was what he was using all along not moves at all?


      Geezer Shi took out a small wine pot, took a swig, and smacked his lips. "Think about it. Didn't you notice that the moves in 24 Blizzard Strikes and Thunder Roar Zen are simple and practical? Besides strength-gathering skill, strength-borrowing method, and corresponding visualization method, you only have to learn basic moves like avalanche, blast, chop, whip, burst, pound, and smash."


      "But in my fights, I'll combine them basing on the situation. Aren't those considered moves?" Lou Cheng gradually understood what his master meant.


      "Yes, those are the most basic of moves. Why else would the fighting style of the Dan stage be called the link between the past and the future?" Geezer Shi replied smugly. "But the moves at Dan stage are the result of our pioneers' adjustment and improvement. They're of course superior to the moves you come up with on the spot. As you go further, you will learn killing moves."


      "Of course, you can't be restricted by our predecessors' moves. However powerful they are, you still need to apply them to actual combats. When you've truly mastered them, you can use them in different combinations as you will. Then you'll be truly a master."


      Lou Cheng asked in bewilderment, "So what's the difference from the basic moves I've been using? They're all used in combinations based on my situation at my will."



      "Of course they're different! It's just like taking an exam. One doesn't know anything and rakes his brain during the exam, and the other has studied known knowledge before comprehending his own, do you think there's no difference?" Geezer Shi scoffed.


      So it was the difference between professional and laymen... Lou Cheng suddenly saw the light. "Is it the so-called three stages of learning kungfu? First, learn what's visible. Second, learn what's invisible. Third, realize that what is the invisible is actually hidden in the visible?"


      "If you put it that way, you're not wrong." Geezer Shi coughed. "I'll start from visualization method. You won't have much problem with the parts about the Dan stage since you're already acquainted with it. As for the spiritual cultivation, you'll progress from Condensation Stance to Ice Mirror. It's fine if you haven't reached the threshold of Ice Mirror. It's fine if you apply what little you know onto Condensation Stance."


      "Master, I'll soon reach the threshold of Ice Mirror," Lou Cheng said joyfully.


      After the preliminary combination of energy and force, Lou Cheng had gotten some feel for the practice of Ice Mirror on the base of meditation and was about to slowly reach the threshold. Though he could not progress at lighting-speed, he was sure to begin practicing the real Ice Mirror in two or three months, at most half a year!


      "That's not what I want to hear!" Geezer Shi glared at him. "When you reach the threshold of Ice Mirror, your spiritual cultivation will be based on it. You can continue practicing until you reach the physical-invulnerability state. As for body-refining, you can depend on the Cold and Frozen Blueprint and Frozen River Diagram that you've already learned. They're both above the mortal level."


      "What? Isn't it called Frost Force?" Lou Cheng was perplexed.


      Geezer Shi gave a smug smile. "It's called Frost Force when used as martial arts move and Body-Refining Method when used within your body. That's why it is called the Core Force of Ice Sect. I didn't bring it up earlier because your body wasn't tough enough to bear the pressure of force-withdrawing. Once you practice it, you'll definitely get injured and be destroyed."


      "That's also why a warrior needs to determine his cultivation methods at the beginning of the Dan stage. You need to distinguish between the primary and the secondary. The corresponding Force will affect your martial arts root and change your body condition from the biological level. If it's a mess, it'll contradict each other. You'll end up suffering a genetic breakdown!"


      After reading so many military research reports, he started using one of their jargons.


      "Is that so… " Something suddenly occurred to Lou Cheng. "Master, since I'm rooted in the balance of Ice and Flame Force, what can I do to keep them in harmony and prevent any harm to them?"


      "I don't have experience in this!" Geezer Shi's answer greatly shocked Lou Cheng. "Who told you to awaken both Ice and Flame supernatural abilities and combine cultivation method with martial arts?"


      Leaving Lou Cheng no chance to raise another question, Geezer Shi continued with a smile, "But to be honest, these are all non-issues. Your root has long transformed. Why else would you develop a supernatural ability? Besides, isn't your supernatural ability under the influence of Immortal Longhu's remains and your Balance of Dan? There's no contradiction, is there? This means your foundation has always fused with it and your body has always got used to it. As long as there isn't any huge gap between the two forces, you won't suffer a genetic breakdown."


      He had been so terrified earlier... Lou Cheng wiped the imaginary forehead off his forehead. "Master, does that mean I have to cultivate my Flame Force to keep up with Frost Force?"


      "Exactly. It's the same even after you reach physical-invulnerability state." Geezer Shi nodded with a relaxed expression.


      Lou Cheng became intrigued and asked, "Then what's the corresponding physical-invulnerability force of Zhu Rong Force?"


      How could he get it at a later stage?


      "Fire Force, Emperor Yan Force," Geezer Shi answered with a grin.


      "Emperor Yan Force… Why does it sound so familiar?" Lou Cheng blurted out.


      "It'd be weird if you're not familiar with it. It's Dragon King's special skill." Geezer Shi coughed twice and straightened his back with his hands behind him.


      "Oh, right... " Lou Cheng subconsciously mimicked Yan Zheke's favorite saying.


      After getting to know each other for some time, they gradually became affected by each other.


      Lou Cheng suddenly came to himself and asked in astonishment, "Is it a kungfu from the Fire Sect?"


      Fire Sect! Fire Sect from the Five Sects Unique Skill of the Taoist School!


      Unlike the Ice Magical Kungfu, which was dubbed the Unique Skill of the Ice Sect, the kungfu itself was called the Fire Sect!


      "Exactly. I've exhausted a lot of my connections and reputation to get this." Geezer Shi nodded triumphantly, satisfied with his silly disciple's reaction.


      Lou Cheng was greatly moved, but he knew what his master wanted was not words of thanks. Thus, he replied in a manner befitting his master's taste.


      "You're amazing! You managed to get even the Fire Sect kungfu!"


      "Though I'm a little old, my network is quite useful." Geezer Shi's cough became smooth as he added, "And some people think rather highly of you, so perhaps… "


      "Perhaps what?" Lou Cheng asked.


      "Nothing. I'm just saying," Geezer Shi replied casually. "Let's continue our topic. Inner Withdrawing is done in the reverse. First, use the Frozen River Diagram and then Freezing Cold Blueprint. This way, you can refine even the smallest parts of your body and gradually adjust your root and core. When you reach the immortal level, you'll be able to transform bit by bit... "


      He explained the Inner-refining Method of the Dan stage, showing Lou Cheng its difference from the combination of Frost Force and Zhu Rong Force. His explanation was detailed, lest his disciple made mistakes in the future.


      After Lou Cheng made several attempts and Geezer Shi confirmed that there would not be any initial problems, he said,


      "There are two kinds of kungfu at the Dan stage. The first one, as I've mentioned, is our predecessors' combined movements. The other is simple moves as an application of materialized Force at physical-invulnerability level. Your supernatural ability is quite similar to this. You can practice it in advance, though it naturally won't be powerful."


      "In the coming few months, practice the three moves first." Geezer Shi's expression suddenly turned solemn.


      Lou Cheng immediately held his breath and waited for his master to announce the three moves.


      Geezer Shi cleared his throat.


      "The 13th movement of the Ice Sect, Snow Cover!"


      "The 19th movement of the Ice Sect, Cold Swallow!"


      "The 26th movement of the Ice Sect, Ice Burning!"


      In Lou Cheng's excitement, a thought suddenly came to him.


      This was the privilege of a first-class disciple!


      From now on, he would widen the gap between him and Zhang Zhutong, Han Zhifei, and the rest of his former opponents even without his Jindan.


      Feeling fortunate and grateful, Lou Cheng began to pay full attention to his practice of the new movements. He then heard his master say,


      "Okay, practice by yourself for a while. Remember it's your first special training class today. Don't be late."


      Recalling something, Lou Cheng left his stance and asked,


      "Master, have you prepared the Internal Trainning Methods for the Martial Arts Club?"


      He, Ke, and Brother-in-law already had a method, but not the other members!


      "I'm still considering it." Geezer Shi took a sip of wine.


      Lou Cheng gave him a smile.


      "Then I won't trouble you for it. I've prepared one for them."


      "Where did you get it from?" Geezer Shi gave his disciple an once-over.


      "Remember I went to guide Xiushan Team in their special training? When the chairman wanted to compensate me, I remembered that our team members still lacked an Internal Trainning Methods. So I asked him for something related to their team's Internal Training Methods. It's not the best, but good enough for them." Lou Cheng grinned.


      This would not only help his teammates but also friends and relatives who wanted to enter the martial arts circle but was unable to enter the Ice God Sect.


      Geezer Shi huffed. "You exchanged your tiny bit of contribution with an Internal Training Method? You only taught them once a week!"


      "I was also embarrassed and thought I needed to chip in some money. But Chairman Wei agreed easily. He's really a good guy," said Lou Cheng.


      "Yeah, he's good. The method isn't his anyway. Taking something belonging to the Foundation to exchange for goodwill with a promising mighty one like you, isn't that very cost-effective?" Geezer Shi thought it was ridiculous and laughable.


      Lou Cheng chuckled dryly without replying. Ke had already come up with the same analysis for him.


      "Give me the diagram of the Inner-refining Method then." Geezer Shi tut-tutted and turned around. "I didn't think you'd be so concerned about the Martial Arts Club."


      Internal Training Methods of this level do not touch the core and spirit yet.


      Lou Cheng smiled. "Our foundation is weak. If we want to catch up to other famous martial art schools, we need to make the most of everyone's strength."


      "You're pretty ambitious," said Geezer Shi, pretending to scold him.


      "Hehe. Master, don't tell them I'm the one who gave them the method. I don't want them to be uncomfortable in front of me." Lou Cheng requested it of his master sincerely.


      "Oh, you want to be an anonymous saint? Okay, deal." Geezer Shi waved him goodbye and walked towards the long bridge.


      That was because he was not narrow-minded! Lou Cheng complained a little in his mind and then continued to refine his stamina.




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     304 Filming Special Training
      §§§Chapter 81 Filming Special Training


      Having eaten breakfast, Lou Cheng pulled Yan Zheke along. He was in a great mood as he headed towards the martial arts arena, preparing to join the new school semesters first special training.


      Feeling the gaze of each and every new classmate, he couldn't help but sigh and think to himself,


      It's been a long time since I've gotten this kind of attention!


      "It feels good to be back at school and displaying our affection like this."


      "What are you laughing at?" Yan Zheke's elegant eyebrows moved slightly as she shot him a doubtful glance.


      Lou Cheng snickered, then said, "I'm so proud of myself, I have my own fairy!"


      "Ugh... " Yan Zheke laughed despite herself. She felt like Cheng really was a secret charmer. The longer she got along with him, the more she could sense this.


      Her spirits were soaring. The sky was blue, and the wind was clear.


      Bantering back and forth in this way, the two of them reached the arena. They headed through the entrance and saw a few figures that shouldn't have been here at this time.


      One of them was a woman wearing a white shirt on the inside, draped over by a light gray western style suit, complemented with a skirt that accentuated her graceful figure. Her short hair was perfectly cropped, giving off a cool and intelligently beautiful aura. There stood the Songcheng University television station reporter who had interviewed the martial arts club quite a few times before, Shu Rui. There was a small team beside her, busily preparing for the recording.


      Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke stared at one another and saw the same question in each other's eyes. Without having to say anything, they released each other's hands in order to avoid being recorded by the cameras as they walked in.


      "Hi, Lou Cheng!" Shu Rui said while she looked all around her as if she'd suddenly discovered an old friend. Then she immediately waved in excitement.


      "Reporter Shu, you've come this early for an interview?" Lou Cheng asked curiously as he walked over.


      Yan Zheke followed behind with her hands behind her back, and her ears pricked up.



      Shu Rui's dimples appeared as she smiled and said, "Not an interview. I'm here to record a program."


      "Record a program?" Lou Cheng blurted in astonishment.


      What here was worthy of recording a program?


      Exposing her upper teeth, Shu Rui said, "You and Lin Que have matured up until this point today. You're considered the finest in the entire university martial arts circle. Song Cheng University Martial Arts Club certainly can advance to the District level, perhaps we can even hope to strike out into the semifinals. It's the focal point of everyone's interest lately. Haha, I must first say congratulations."


      "Since we represent the Song Cheng University Television Station, how could we possibly let this story slip by? Our leader's already approved for me to come and do a special program."


      "Special?" said Lou Cheng as mulled over this word. Confusion could also be seen on Yan Zheke's face.


      Shu Rui chuckled lightly, "It's just a kind of documentary program. Starting from now until just before next April, I'll be coming over every once in a while to film some things, such as your special training, exercise drills, preparing for matches, warm-ups, competitions, and just ordinary daily life. Through all of these aspects, we'll be able to develop your true appearance. Once we've got all those materials, we'll be able to put out a special story to help encourage you all as you join the national competition."


      "So it's that kind of program... " Lou Cheng thought for a moment and said, "Sounds really interesting."


      "I've done a survey, many people are quite interested." Shu Rui responded with her eyes beaming.


      This program was my plan, all mine!


      Yan Zheke cracked a smile and observed this silently. She could practically see Reporter Shu's tail wagging in pride.


      "We'll try to cooperate as much as possible." Lou Cheng politely responded, then pointed over to the other fighters, "I'm going to go join them first."


      "Oh, no need to rush! Since you're here, can you give me two sentences, even just one, just one sentence. Classmate Yan, wait a moment and you can also say something!" Shu Rui made the video camera point at Lou Cheng, and Yan Zheke moved to the side with great agility.


      "Fine." Lou Cheng was already well experienced in this area and was no longer a novice.


      Shu Rui giggled, then said, "Just relax, pretend we were chatting like a moment ago when I greeted you. Hi, Lou Cheng, you've arrived quite early!"


      "It's not early Reporter Shu, you're all here too." Lou Cheng joked.


      "You're in a good mood! You seem quite relaxed and full of energy. Do you have a definite goal when it comes to the National University Martial Arts Competition?" Shu Rui asked with a smile.


      "One should always aim high", Lou Cheng answered wittily.


      "I understand. I don't want to hold up your special training, bye bye," Shu Rui said, and waved her hand.


      "Bye." Lou Cheng stepped towards the other fighters, greeting Cai Zongming, Li Mao, Guo Qing, Sun Jian, Lin Hua, Jiang Fusheng, Li Xiaowen, Wu Meng and others.


      As Yan Zheke was stopped by Shu Rui, she had no choice but to remain for a moment.


      "Classmate Yan, you really are a beautiful girl, there's no need to be worried about being in front of the lens without makeup or not having photoshop." Shu Rui loosened into her everyday attitude as she began the interview.


      "I'm not worried about that!" Yan Zheke innocently responded as she flashed a glance.


      Shu Rui laughed, then said, "You haven't been interviewed many times before, it makes it hard for me to avoid any misunderstandings!"


      "That time I was a substitute. There was no need for me to steal the limelight," Yan Zheke said stiffly.


      "Then, being a substitute, is that what you are preparing for in University Martial Arts?" Shu Rui asked, returning to the topic.


      Her eyes bright, Yan Zheke said, "That's what I'm doing, but I still have a long ways to go. I'm hoping that before the District Contest I can approach the level of Professional Ninth Pin."


      She wasn't modest, nor was she grandiose.


      "Wow, that'd be amazing, I'm jealous!" With a gesture, Shu Rui said, "You can do it, Classmate Yan!"


      "Thank you." Yan Zheke turned politely and with a handsome figure, headed towards the group.


      Just then, Lin Que brilliantly appeared from the locker room.


      Shu Rui motioned to the cameraman to keep up as she marched forward, a nervous smile blooming on her face.


      "Hi, Classmate Lin Que."


      Hopefully, he is in a good mood today.


      "It's you again." Lin Que glanced at her.


      "What does he mean by 'again'?" Shu Rui's mouth twitched upon hearing this.


      Was he ridiculing the fact that I've been an ordinary reporter for more than a year? That I'm still interviewing the Song Cheng University Martial Arts Club?"


      But being promoted for doing a job only a year isn't very long! Especially since I've disregarded a few suggestions from the leader...


      She drew her lips back and said with a cold smile, "Yes, it's me again. I'm just an ordinary reporter. I have to make a living and the leader told me to do this, so all I can do is listen and reluctantly come over here."


      "You can do it." Lin Que answered blankly as he walked past, not stopping as he went by the cameraman.


      "You can do it? Just who in the hell is the interviewer here?!" Shu Rui went lifeless for a moment.


      This guy doesn't make any sense!


      A few minutes later, Geezer Shi arrived and the cameraman pointed at everyone.


      "It's been almost a year that we've known each other. I won't talk nonsense. Instead, I'll get straight to the point," Geezer Shi said as he drank a mouthful of alcohol, "This semester we only have one objective. That's to advance into the University Martial Arts Competition District Contest, and by next April go to the capital to join and pass through to the finals of the competition!"


      Afterward, he coughed twice and glanced at Lou Cheng, "And to accomplish that objective, this old man has prepared some Internal Training Methods to give you all."


      "Internal Training Methods?" Li Mao blurted out, half frightened and half excited.


      Cai Zongming was also shocked. He, Lou Cheng, Guo Qing, and others glanced at each other, their faces full of disbelief.


      Things such as Internal Training Methods were priceless!


      Other than dealing with a sect or an outstanding Martial Arts School, there were only three definite and precise channels to get access to Internal Training Methods. One was to join a professional competition and obtain it as a reward. The second was to set up a contribution fund and receive one from the government. The third was to dedicate oneself, slowly accumulate bit by bit, and then trade with the Martial Artist Association. Ordinarily many that circulated throughout the marketplace were fake, and furthermore, the government as well as the Martial Arts circles both detested businesses that caused Internal Training Methods to become widespread, simply for the sake of maintaining their own interests.


      In other words, when a fighter with no inheritance obtained Internal Training Methods, it would be OK for him to use them to teach his disciples or even sell to someone. But if he sold to more than one man, he would be given a warning. This whole thing was technically a continuation of corrupt customs in the martial arts circle.


      From the time Chu Weicai first opened a Martial Arts School until now, it had not been possible to obtain an Internal Training Method. That just goes to show how difficult it is.


      Of course, this difficulty was only universal in regards to fighters.


      After Li Mao entered meditation, he himself felt that within a year he could obtain the Professional Ninth Pin qualification. Now he was a fourth year student and finding a job was of higher importance. Occasionally he would fantasize about going through a Martial Arts Club competition and obtaining an Inner Training Method reward. If that happened, he could possibly become a Ninth Pin in less than six months, play through a few games, and then open a small martial arts school in his own hometown!


      However, if he was honest with himself, he also felt that this didn't seem truly attainable. However, at this very moment, the Inner Training Method was clear and vivid, right in front of his eyes.


      How could this not make him excited? How could he not be ecstatic? He wanted to cry out for Coach Shi to live long and prosper!


      Cai Zongming also felt this way. Even though Classmate Talker's family was well off, he didn't have any contacts in the martial arts world. After he had achieved meditation, he had tried to obtain Inner Training Methods, but they'd all ended in ignoble defeat. After school had started, he wanted to find Cheng and speak to him about this to see if he had any connections.


      To beat this age and have Inner Training Methods, I couldn't say for sure if I'll walk the path of Martial Arts, but I can definitely use it to charge out into my own life!


      Sun Jian, Lin Hua, Wu Meng, Li Xiaowen, and others were exceptionally happy. Even though they had failed to achieve Solemn Silence, using Inner Training Methods to practice asceticism was essential. In addition to the other content, it could possibly allow them to save time with physical practice. For example, Li Xiaowen's goal before was to be at an Amateur Third Pin level by the time she graduated and obtain a good certification. Now she was looking forward to the semi-finals where she could obtain this qualification.


      After having this, one's life would be completely different.


      "What's wrong? You don't want it?" Geezer Shi mumbled kiddingly.


      "We want it!" Li Mao, Cai Zongming and others responded in unison, their spirits high and their faces beaming with joy.


      Seeing their reaction, Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke glanced at each other, their hearts filled with a sense of satisfaction and pride.


      Even though they don't know the inner training methods come from me and they all show gratitude to Geezer Shi, I still feel very good from the bottom of my heart.


      Hahaha, was this what it felt like to enjoy some good karma after doing a good deed?


      Shu Rui watched, full of exhilaration, and made the cameraman record the proceedings.


      In the following refining exercises, they recorded quite a few images of the team. They also went outside to film some environmental material, then afterwards they came back in and prepared to take their leave.


      Just then, Geezer announced that they were going to begin pair exercise drills.


      According to their usual groups, Lou Cheng found Yan Zheke and talked for a moment about the recording of the program, but he saw an expressionless Lin Que approaching. Lin Que stared and said darkly,


      "Let's fight to learn from each other."


      It was as if two flames were burning in the depths of his eyes, and an intense fight would set them ablaze!


      Lou Cheng thought about his brother-in-law's pride and how he couldn't accept a loss, so he was confident Lin Que would take the initiative and ask to fight to learn from each other. Due to this, he wasn't in the slightest bit surprised. He chuckled, then said,


      "Alright."




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      ebook which is a free download at
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     305 Fighting Sect VS Ice Sec
      Shu Rui heard this right as she was going to retreat. After hearing their conversation, her eyes suddenly became bright.


      That would be amazing! Amazing!


      A direct confrontation between two Heavenly Sons. We can distinguish who is stronger on the first day of the special training!


      Is the internal sparring within the Martial Arts Club of Songcheng University always this exciting?


      Her feet stopped, her spirits rose, and her eyes sparkled as she signaled the cameraman to get a better spot and grab the golden spot beside the ring!


      At this moment, Geezer Shi turned around and asked," Shu, aren't you gonna leave?"


      Shu Rui pretended she did not understand what he had just said. She replied in a very cute way," Please allow us to stay a few more minutes, please."


      "No, no, I'm sorry, but you can't. We're going to have to clear people out as this concerns the secret of the Martial Arts Club's preparations for war." Old man Shi had a lot of experience, so it wasn't easy to deceive him, and he directly answered the question.


      Shu Rui begged him, as if she had been wronged, "Coach Shi, we aren't strangers! We have had so many interviews before and we guarantee you that we will not divulge the secret to other people. Before the show is broadcast, I will ask you to go over it and see if there is anything I should not display."


      "No, sorry, we can't." Shi Jianguo said and then shook his head with a smile.


      "We can sign a guarantee!" Shu Rui raised her arm to swear.


      Geezer Shi stayed emotionless and said," Please go and keep the audience in suspense."


      "All right." Realizing the resolute determination of this Mighty One with physical invulnerability, Shu Rui replied dejectedly. She told the camera team to leave, but they walked at a snail's pace, turning one step into three, which almost trampled all the ants on the ground to death.


      The moment they exited the arena, she heard the sound of footsteps behind her. She became excited because she thought Coach Shi had changed his mind.


      Constantly bear it in mind, we will get good results!



      Shu Rui turned back. Then she saw Cai Zongming. She smiled very gently and asked,


      "Club manager, what brings you here?"


      Cai Zongming looked at her in a very appreciative way, but even if he was willing to help he was powerless to render assistance, so he said,


      "Locking the door."


      Locking the door... Shu Rui looked at him while he closed the door and as she was turning back she heard the sound of the door shutting, "bang!", the lock clasped.


      The wind was blowing, and her hair was dancing with it.


      After a long time, she turned around and asked the photographer and the rest of the team to leave, in a low voice,


      "Let's go"


      "Shu, don't worry too much about this. This happens all the time. No one would allow strangers to leak out their secret by letting them shoot their private competition." The beauty frowned, but the photographer didn't have a heart of stone, so he comforted her.


      "I understand," Shu Rui was full of energy again as she replied with a big smile, "but I don't know whether I should say this... "


      ...


      Wu Meng and Jiang Fusheng helped Li Xiaowen invite all the students who were training in the arena to the Strength Training Gymnasium and told them to stay inside for a while, and maybe use the training devices to kill time. But they returned to the arena themselves and surrounded the arena in order to watch the game.They were waiting for the next game to begin with a lot of interest.


      It looks like this has become a Martial Arts Club tradition?


      It was the first day of the special training, and also the fight between Lin Que and Lou Cheng!


      Even though Lin Que had defeated Lou Cheng last time, Lou Cheng progressed a lot and even won the championship of the Youth Match, which endowed him the capability of being a Seventh-Pin. This time, who can tell which one is stronger?


      ——However, they didn't think that Lou Cheng was guaranteed to succeed because Lin Que had already entered Dan Stage this June. After three months of hard training, it was difficult to say which level he was really at!


      But Yan Zheke knew them very well. She was going to say something about this, but, in the end, she decided to remain silent.


      This sort of thing, I'd better let them solve by themselves. It's the basic principle among fighters. No matter how close we are, we shouldn't get too involved in their fights.


      Based on what she knew about Lou Cheng and Lin Que, she was sure that they would spend all their might fighting, without considering any other factors.


      Lou Cheng smiled at his girlfriend and stepped onto the stage. He was very curious about how much his Brother-in-law had improved during these two months.


      The Dan Stage training method?


      The moves to deal with other moves?


      He has officially become an apprentice of Shushan Study and has probably learned some tactics from the Fighting Sect.


      What a pity. I just learned a new move this morning, but I haven't made any progress on it. Other than the external release of force and some rough applications. Because I can replace it with my supernatural ability, I can, for the moment, skip the hardest part... Lou Cheng was thinking about many things simultaneously, and at the end, he stood beside his teacher.


      Fighting to my full potential is the only way to truly respect Brother-in-law!


      Lin Que was already there waiting for him. His eyes were cold but also burning in a rather contradictory manner.


      "It's just a simple fight, so we won't leave you time for meaningless chatter." Geezer Shi cleared his throat and said, "just begin."


      The moment right after he said that, Lin Que's qi and blood immediately expanded and contracted. He was like a bomb that was about to explode as he bombarded the enemy. It was so fast that Lou Cheng almost thought that he was going to break the speed of sound.


      Bang!


      The explosive sound of qi and Lin Que arrived almost at the same time, which didn't give Lou Cheng any time to dodge, nor the time to use his "Severe Warning". So instead of retreating, he just readjusted his center of gravity, contracted his muscles, and used all his energy to counter-attack. He gave him a hard blow, like thunder.


      We'll see which is stronger, my exploding 24 Blizzard Strikes of Dan Stage or your Yin-yang Twist of Dan Stage!


      When they were about to collide head-on, Lin Que stopped suddenly, his right arm swelled, and his fist swung out. It was so fast that it appeared to be dragging his shadow.


      But this hit didn't land on Lou Cheng. Instead, it landed on the vacant space between them.


      Poom!


      Starting with Lin's empty fist, it seemed as though a small bomb had been detonated in place, and the shock wave, wrapped in the air, rushed toward Lou Cheng, tearing at his body.


      A hit like an exploding mountain!


      Fighting Sect, No. 127, Meteor Blast!


      Lou Cheng was very surprised by this move. He defended against the attack, being knocked directly backwards, with his fingers wide open as his left arm bounced back.


      He wobbled backwards from the huge shockwave while defending skillfully.


      After his first move, Lin Que continued attacking with the rest of his moves. First, he continuously erupted twice. With his right leg supporting him, he took a step forward with his left foot, as if he was digging up soil.


      Bang! The ground he stood upon was intact, but the surface around him exploded into pieces like a volcanic eruption. The pieces turned into hidden weapons that shot upwards.


      Fighting Sect, NO.116, Earth Cracking!


      The moment when Lou Cheng was confronting the shock wave, he felt the big explosive force from Lin. He lost his center of gravity and he had to deal with all the pieces that were attacking him.


      At the crucial juncture, Lou Cheng bent his leg and held up his qi. First, he used the Dan realm to relax his muscle, which counteracted part of the force from the hidden weapons, and then he used all his energy to pull off an explosion to defend against the pieces. His muscle even began to swell and turn black.


      At this moment, Lin Que still didn't let him fight back. When Lou Cheng was approaching, Lin Que stretched out his right hand and opened his hand, reaching out towards him.


      Continuous attacks!


      In the Fighting Sect, a move that can attack seven times in a row, with both ranged combat and close combat, would be the famous move of physical invulnerability, Fighting Sect No.6, "Big Dipper Kill"!


      If you can only manage five, four or three attacks in a row, then that would be the subordinate, No.1.


      But of course, "subordinate" was a relative word. It was still too formidable. There were only 9 levels in the physical invulnerability stage of the Fighting Sect, and what Lin Que used at the moment was just a rudimentary one.


      Fighting Sect, No.10, Doomed Death!


      Seeing that the right hand of his Brother-in-law was about to catch him and finish his continuous attacks, Luo Cheng took a breath and shook his right hand.


      A glowing white light shot onto the floor and leapt from one side to the other rapidly, rushing at Lin Que!


      The 26th movement of the Ice Sect, Ice Burning!




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     306 Recruitmen
      The cold light with Lou Cheng's punch ran close to the ground, instantly hitting the opponent who was almost within reach. The punch left a trail of frost as if bringing early winter to the Indian summer.


      Lin Que seemed as if he had stepped on a landmine. His leg was swallowed by the snow-white "blaze" rising from the ground, forming a layer of translucent ice.


      He could not help shivering and slowed his move to seize Lou Cheng.


      The time was now! Lou Cheng moved to his brother-in-law's side. He concentrated his qi, blood, and force, concentrated and they rose, lifting his muscle so he seemed larger than ever.


      In a sudden snap, he whipped out his metal-like right punch from below with a tremor force. It made a sharp ringing sound through the friction against the air currents.


      At such a distance, he did not have to worry about Lin Que dodging him!


      That scene stunned Li Mao and the rest speechless as if they were watching a fight between warriors of physical vulnerability!


      Since when can Cheng use his Power of Frost?


      In the Youth Tournament last August, he did not show this even in the final two most challenging rounds!


      In just a month, he has made a breakthrough in his supernatural ability and transformed it completely?


      No wonder Coach Shi tried to send Journalist Shu away. This really was a "surprise" for Shanbei!


      On the arena, Lin Que seemed still affected by Ice Burning. He subconsciously pulled the left side of his back, trying to dodge toward the right but was hit straight in the ribs by Lou Cheng's single whip.


      With a sudden snap, his body trembled violently. His bones and muscles, skins and channels, all collapsed and contracted as his qi, blood, and force, concentrated and surged. It seemed that Lou Cheng only managed to hit the air. The shock from the burst also vanished.


      He twisted his waist at a sharp turn at his waist and his Big Dan gushed. Lin Que's muscles bulged one by one, scraping the airflow at high speed and causing a series of sounds that excited the audience.



      Yin-yang Twist, Dragon Whispered!


      Leveraging part of the borrowed force, Lin Que swung his arms. He threw a violent punch, attacking his opponent's lower abdomen at close range.


      When he was simulating the explosion of the Dan state, he did not use the Meteor force. Once he had completed the genuine Force Concentration, he may not be able to do it in his current state.


      They were so close Lou Cheng could hear his opponent's breathing. He knew one passive move would only force him to be more passive. An old saying went that victory would go to those who take the initiative. Thus he gritted his teeth and induced Double Explosion.


      With a swing and lift of his right arm, he threw his punch.


      Boom!


      The shock waves coming from these punches caused a strong wind in the arena. Lou Cheng swung his body and withdrew his right arm, attempting to transform the coming force into Mega Avalanche. But he found only emptiness, without any force for him to borrow.


      Lin Que's violent trembling had yet to cease as he moved like a puppet. He stood on the side, condensing the incoming force and the force from himself. Almost bursting out of his martial arts suit, he charged furiously at his opponent like a meteor storm!


      This was the perfect mix of Yin-yang Twist and Force Concentration!


      Double Explosion!


      The wind snapping and sizzling, Lin Que turned into a mountain made of metal and was about to close in onto his opponent. Their distance was less than a step away.


      Lou Cheng's weight shifted and moved sideways. He lowered his body and dodged the attack. He kicked at his opponent's weak point on his lower body, trying to make Lin Que lose balance and fall by himself.


      Just then, Lin Que's body became still and screeched to a stop, the same way he did at the beginning of their match.


      The sound of the friction was sharp and terrifying. He restrained the accumulation of his power and stopped just before Lou Cheng's right foot before his kick made contact.


      Almost immediately, Lin Que took a step forward and skillfully avoided this attack. He threw his right arm from below with a snap, so furious that it could break even metal and stone!


      Depending only on the mysteries of Yin-yang Twist and Meteor Blast, he had sustained himself this far using the Force Concentration and the borrowed force!


      Under such circumstances, Lou Cheng decided to withdraw his Qi and blood and brought together in the Dantian. He reached out his hands expressionlessly, with his blue tendons, vessels, and muscles bulging.


      He used one hand to grasp Lin Que's fist and the other to pull sideways.


      Boom!


      The attack threw his right hand backwards and his fingers kept shivering. Thanks to the pull, the false grasp of Lin Que's fist, and the unloading of the force in his palm, he managed to avoid a fracture.


      He dared not stubbornly resist and retreated two steps back along the counterforce.


      With Lin Que's successful attack, he stepped even harder and approached Lou Cheng in record time.


      Lou Cheng exhaled suddenly and used his Force Concentration again, bringing the Qi and blood back in the Dantian and steadied himself.


      His martial arts suit stretched tightly over his body, outlining his muscles. He moved his left shoulder and threw out the arm. His punch crackled in the air, aiming for the middle of Lin Que's torso.


      Lin Que managed to fend off this punch with his arms. He tried to visualize and adjust his posture again, borrowing and released force with his Yin-yang Twist.


      However, he was fundamentally different from Lou Cheng because he had not reached the explosion of the Dan stage yet. So he could only release a little force and his head also fell back with this hit.


      Lou Cheng followed him without any hesitation, delivering his Thunder Roar Zen persistently and furiously.


      Boom!


      Lin Que shivered violently, feeling dizzy and frozen in place.


      Before his master announced the outcome, Lou Cheng stopped and sighed quietly to himself.


      His brother-in-law was just recently promoted and the limit of his body had yet to realize the change, thus he was still in the level of normal Eighth Pin of the Dan stage. He was not strong enough to complete the serial explosions. Otherwise, he would have put an even tougher fight.


      A fighter at the normal Eighth Pin of the Dan stage could make Double Explosion at most. Even Zhou Zhengquan who was training to improve his endurance could only do the Triple Explosion. Though Lou Cheng's previous opponents, Qiu Lin and Meng Jiefeng were Eighth Pin fighters, they were professionals and their physical bodies were closer to the Seventh Pin.


      Lin Que's consecutive moves in the beginning had impressed Lou Cheng. Lin Que had showed a completely different fight mode from before. If not the breakthrough of his Power of Frost and his preliminary understanding of Ice Burning helping him to interrupt Lin Que's moves, he would have likely lost.


      Was this the powerful and historical Dan stage?


      His brother-in-law has made such amazing progress in mere three months since his breakthrough. Peng Leyun had already received the certificate of the Sixth Pin after entering the Dan stage two years ago and also had the Unique Skill of the Thunder Sect. What about himself?


      One could not realize it through mere videos and could never develop a deeper understanding of it without experience.


      Thinking of these, the giddy self-satisfied feeling he had since winning the Youth Tournament vanished.


      He had underestimated Peng Leyun!


      Breaking out of his reverie, he watched Lin Que who was standing there stupefied and panting. He said with an honest smile,


      "You have to work on your physical strength."


      He knew that any other comments would have annoyed Lin Que since his brother-in-law was such a proud and aloof person. It was better to give direct suggestions.


      Lin Que came round again. Without saying anything, he turned back and walked down the stone steps. Near the end of the stairs, he paused and gave a gentle nod.


      Lou Cheng exhaled and turned toward Yan Zheke, who wore a complicated expression. She seemed both deeply moved and sorrowful.


      Since young, Lin Que had always been her idol.


      ...


      In the late September after the military training, Yan Xiaoling hurried to the square with He Zi and Mu Jinnian.


      Today was the recruitment day for all student organizations!


      They did not hesitate or allow themselves to get distracted by the cosplayers and advertisements. They headed straight for the Martial Arts Club stand. There were a large group of students there, almost forming a line.


      "We came so early, but we still have to wait." Yan Xiaoling pretended to sob.


      She had become more comfortable with her roommates.


      "Isn't it because a certain someone woke up late today?" He Zi lifted her two palms helplessly. There was a change to her style today. She wore a cartoon T-shirt, shorts, a pair of sports shoes, and a backpack. Only her round-shaped glasses remained the same.


      "Ah, I'm exhausted after the military training." Having queued up, Yan Xiaoling noticed the one manning the stand was Cao Zongming.


      Just as she was thinking if she should be shameless and enter through the back door, Mu Jinnian patted her on the shoulder and pointed to another direction. "Here comes your idol."


      Ah? Idol? Lou Cheng! Yan Xiaoling turned around and saw Lou Cheng who was usually separated by a screen appear by the stand.


      The real person was even more charismatic!


      It was him in real life! In real life! Having cheered, Yan Xiaoling stepped back and hid behind He Zi as if she had transformed into a cowardly quail.


      What to do? What to do? Lou Cheng was just right there...


      "Didn't you say you'd throw yourself at Lou Cheng to get an autograph and photo once you see him?" He Zi turned back and asked indignantly.


      "I-I'm nervous. I-I can't even talk." Yan Xiaoling hung down her head, stared at her feet, and stole glances at Lou Cheng from time to time. "He Zi, He Zi, can you ask him for me?"


      He Zi glared at her. "Had you not acknowledge me as your godfather, I'll definitely not help!"


      Er, how many godfathers had she acknowledged... Yan Xiaoling suddenly thought of this issue.


      He Zi took the notebook and the marker from Mu Jinnian and ran to Lou Cheng. With a smile, she said, "Nice to meet you! Can you please give me your signature?"


      Lou Cheng had long noticed Yan Xiaoling but pretended not to recognize her to hide his habit of visiting his fan forum. He smiled.


      "Sure."


      He took the notebook and signed it.


      Thinking for a moment, He Zi added, "Can you write 'for Quail'?"


      "Of course." Lou Cheng agreed easily as a way of thanking Yan Xiaoling for her contributions to his fan forum.


      He wrote a 'for' and then paused.


      "What's wrong?" He Zi asked in confusion.


      "N-Nothing. Let me look at my phone." Lou Cheng laughed with embarrassment.


      Damn it. How to spell quail?




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     307 One Year After Another
      Lou Cheng forced himself to remain cool and typed "quail" on his mobile while pretending to reply a message. He memorized the characters and then wrote it down flamboyantly, pretty pleased with himself.


      "Done." He passed the notebook back to He Zi and secretly felt a bit ashamed.


      To be honest, he used to be able to spell quail in his senior year. But ever since he got in the university, the keyboard had replaced papers and he often found himself unable to spell words.


      That was the peak of my erudition in my life!


      He Zi looked at Lou Cheng with suspicion before expressing her gratitude. As soon as she returned to the back of the team, she tore that page off and gave it to Yan Xiaoling.


      "Stupid chicken!" said she. ("Such a coward!")


      Yan Xiaoling was brightened up by joy and answered exaggeratedly, "He Zi, I admire you! I worship you!"


      Her voice was crispy and tender as if an elementary school student.


      He Zi and Mu Jinnian exchanged a glance and answered with no expression on their face, "I don't need a stupid chicken to worship me."


      Used to such cold treatment, Yan Xiaoling didn't seem to care. She glanced at Lou Cheng secretly and appeared very concerned. "I feel his face looks a bit pale. Is he sick?"


      "Considering his current physique... It's not easy for him to get sick besides injuries and the sequel of the secret skills of the Plague Sect." Mu Jinnian answered in a flat tone. She was a true fan of Lin Que and had no special feeling towards Lou Cheng. As a devoted fan of Lin Que, Lou Cheng was just another passer-by.


      "Maybe something went wrong during his training or practice... " He Zi let her imagination go wild and created an exciting story in her head.


      With Lou Cheng's current listening ability, an open conversation in such a distance was heard clearly. He shook his head with a wry smile.


      If only my power of blaze wasn't awakened the second time yesterday... If only I wasn't still ill and suffering from the boomerang... If only I wasn't banned from training by my master and Coach Yan... Why would I be here helping Ming with the recruiting?


      The improved power of frost slightly changed Lou Cheng's root pulp and pushed his physical strength further up to the standard for the second power of blaze awakening, a few days earlier than the beginning of October as Geezer Shi had expected. After this awakening, Lou Cheng's strength, speed, and agility would officially catch up with any Professional Seventh Pin fighter in the Dan stage.



      As time went by, Yan Xiaoling finally made it to the front of the line, facing Cai Zongming and Li Xiaowen.


      "It's you!" Smiled Ming amiably as he passed three application forms to them.


      Yan Xiaoling didn't feel shy or nervous at all in front of Ming. She asked cheerfully, "Can we get an autograph by joining in the Martial Arts Club?"


      She didn't mention Lou Cheng's name as her idol was right there.


      "Of course. Come. I'll sign one for you. Keep it safe. It will be worth a fortune!" Joked Cai Zongming.


      The atmosphere was suddenly relaxed. Yan Xiaoling picked up a pen and began to fill in the form. As she put a slash in the Martial Arts Rank field, she felt inferior.


      Spending all your long holidays in bed meant she had no time for any exercise. Not to mention martial arts training.


      Once her application was done, she looked about out of curiosity to check on her roommates.


      He Zi, Amateur Second Pin... Err... Jinnian, Amateur Third Pin... Yan Xiaoling's mouth opened wide to an O shape.


      When did they become so good at it?


      They are both at least Amateur Third Pin!


      I'm the only weak chicken...


      In a flash, a popular joke came to her mind.


      Thank you, roommates, for sparing my life!


      Cai Zongming took back the form and glanced at it with a bright smile.


      "Welcome to the Martial Arts Club. The orientation will be held after the holiday. I'll call you once the time is set."


      "Wow! Manager, you were never this enthusiastic before!" Teased Yan Xiaoling, surprised.


      Cai Zongming withdrew his smile and answered thoughtfully,


      "Of course. Now I know who you are. How can I be not nice to you?"


      "Who we are?" Yan Xiaoling looked at He Zi and Mu Jinnian, all puzzled.


      Don't I know who I am at the age of almost 20? Am I a lost daughter of the boss of Taobao?


      Cai Zongming laughed,


      "The future of the communist career!"


      The three girls and many other students burst into a laugh.


      This manager is really funny!


      When the crowd got smaller, Cai Zongming sneaked to Lou Cheng's side and whispered,


      "Cheng, this year's freshmen are pretty decent!"


      "You mean their martial arts skill or their face?" Lou Cheng looked at Talker, feeling unsure.


      "Damn. How could you doubt my chastity! Anyway, the peak year of good-looking students is ours. Your girlfriend, Lin Que, and me. Super!" Cai Zongming posed before continuing, "I've found four new members of or higher than Amateur Third Pin within two hour."


      "Err... That is pretty decent." Lou Cheng's eyes lit up, very glad.


      Different from those professional teams, a university martial arts club would suffer greatly from fluidity as every year there would be members graduating from school. The freshmen's quality became very important.


      Lou Cheng could leave everything behind after his graduation but he had developed feelings for the club and the school after one year of training side by side with other members and the unconditional support from the audience. He had taken over the responsibility to keep it going strong on his own initiative.


      "In general, they are better than us. He-heh... Don't look at me like that. You had no rank, no strength, and no experience back then." Cai Zongming poked fun at him.


      "That's right. When we first joined, the imposing Lin Que of Professional Ninth Pin was followed by an Amateur Fifth Pin student... " Lou Cheng tried to argue, "My brother-in-law can fight ten single-handed!"


      Cai Zongming sneered and answered after a moment of thinking, "I bet next year we will get some even better ones. Think about it. When these kids filed their university applications, our club was still struggling at the division stage and earned some fame in the finals where Lin Que at the edge of Professional Eighth Pin and the Dan stage was the only selling point and you were merely a talent with some potential and insane physical strength. Next year I'm sure more capable youngsters will consider our school."


      "True. A great result from the national finals and Internal Training Methods are enough to draw some talents' attention." Lou Cheng stood up to exercise his body, looking forward to the future.


      Until this day, he still wouldn't call himself a talent though he was used to being called one by many.


      ...


      After the long holiday, soon it came to the middle of October.


      A sharp alarm went off, waking Yan Xiaoling up from a sweet dream. She struggled to get out of her bed.


      She sat there still, very confused, and finally realized why she got up so early.


      The Martial Arts Club's orientation is on this morning!


      She opened He Zi's mosquito net and muttered, "He Zi! Oh! He Zi! Wake up! Wake up!"


      Inside the mosquito net was a black cat with green eyes, sitting by the rally carelessly.


      "Err... " Yan Xiaoling was lost for a second but soon shouted in shock, "I knew there was a cat! He Zi, you are transformed from a cat! There are monsters in this world!"


      She suddenly felt odd and turned around to the door, seeing He Zi come in from the washroom.


      She took another look at the black cat and understood there was some misunderstanding.


      "Idiot... " He Zi's mouth twitched.


      "Ha-hah... I was kidding." Yan Xiaoling watched the cat jump down from the bed and run out of the room. "He Zi, this is your cat?"


      "No, we can't have any pet in the dorm. I think its owner is a teacher living in that teachers' apartment. It often comes here to see me." He Zi suddenly softened talking about the cat, her eyes shining brightly.


      "How did you know it?" asked Yan Xiaoling curiously as she got off her bed.


      He Zi smiled while recalling, "This is destiny! "I got to the room first and found it trapped behind the wardrobe, meowing. I tried really hard to get it out. I even planned to tear the bed apart... "


      "Then? You moved the bed away and saved it?" Asked Yan Xiaoling with great interests.


      He Zi was lost for a second and then smiled,


      "Not really. It broke free before I got there."


      Why the heck did I waste so much effort and sleeping time?


      Yan Xiaoling frowned and nodded solemnly. She walked to He Zi and patted her shoulder to comfort her.


      "I think we will be good friends."


      …


      After washing up, Yan Xiaoling, He Zi, and Mu Jinnian headed towards the martial arts club. The last student of this room, Chen Youni was still not here. According to the counselor, she was sick and wouldn't come until her disease was cured.


      Thanks to the two members in the Dan stage and their outstanding performance last term, the martial arts club attracted many new members, including a decent number of students in their second or even third years. The stadium was packed, way busier than last year.


      "How lively!" Yan Xiaoling looked about excitedly.


      Her eyes shone when she spotted the pretty Yan Zheke in her white martial arts suit.


      "Can you see? How beautiful that senior is! She's prettier in real life than on the screen!" Yan Xiaoling pointed her out for He Zi and Mu Jinnian with joy.


      "Yep." He Zi took a quick glance and nodded.


      "I really want to take a photo of her!" Yan Xiaoling whispered with excitement.


      She saw the elegant, fresh Yan Zheke turn and move towards them.


      "The closer, the prettier!" Said Yan Xiaoling with a fascinated smile. She suddenly stopped when she realized Yan Zheke was heading towards her!


      Coming to me?


      Coming to me for what?


      Confused and stressed, as soon as Yan Zheke stopped in front of her, she nervously greeted, "Hi, sister."


      What is the matter?


      Yan Zheke smiled gently, "Hi, Little Changye."


      "Ahh? Little Changye? Little Changye!" Yan Xiaoling was shocked, opening her mouth wide like a stunned cat.


      All of a sudden, she no longer knew who this beautiful senior was.




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     308 Meet With the Internet Pal
      "I... I... You... You know me?" Yan Xiaoling interrupted when she recovered from the shock.


      Even Box and Jin don't know this nickname Little Changye. My current QQ name is Master Hua!


      At this very moment, the stunned girl had two ideas.


      My hidden identity is revealed!


      I'll talk! I'll tell everything!


      Amused by Yan Xiaoling's response, Yan Zheke tried hard to restrain her laughter. She waited for a moment to answer. "I'm a frequenter on the forum and have seen many of your posts and your photos. I always find you cute and adorable. I've been looking for you."


      She added silently, "Also very amusing!"


      Yan Xiaoling blushed. "I'm not that good... "


      Hang on. She must know how I got an online father and a bunch of online elder relatives... She must know how I poked fun at myself... She must know my nickname Shit Eating Moderator...


      Hmm... I'd rather die! I'll hide in my room for six months without going out!


      "Wait! She's a member of the Martial Arts Club. She often visits Lou Cheng's forum. She's a gorgeous senior sister... " Yan Xiaoling's brain worked hard and finally reached some conclusion. She blurt out, "You are... "


      Her high pitch drew much attention from the crowd.


      Their eyes quieted her down and her imposing manner shrank. She continued with a lowered voice, "Are you Lou Cheng's Girlfriend?"


      Otherwise, how could she have the first-hand information on his matches?


      She claimed to be a student of the Songcheng University. She called herself a cute girl.


      "Yes!" Yan Zheke answered with a faint smile.


      To be honest, my heart had quite a journey before deciding to come over and say hi generously.


      A female fan of her boyfriend... Watching in a distance online seems fine but once she physically appears in reality, I can't help feeling complicated. I always try to act maturely and rationally but after all, I'm a young girl just under 19 years old. I do have concerns and I do lose control of my imagination. I sometimes make several plans to respectively handle each specific situation.



      However, after I made all those plans, I found it rather ridiculous and I decided to be simple and bright. Maybe Little Changye in real life is just as amusing and funny as the girl online.


      "Ohh!" Yan Xiaoling nodded continuously with excitement.


      There is a forum member in the Martial Arts Club! And she is a cute girl!


      The excited girl could no longer hold her mouth. She asked curiously, "Sister, are you really Lou Cheng's girlfriend?"


      Otherwise, why would she pick such a name?


      He Zi and Mu Jinnian had totally lost in their conversation until this question popped up, their eyes locked, attention paid fully, crying out their desire for gossip.


      "Yeah," answered Yan Zheke calmly, her lips curved.


      Considering how shameless Cheng and I can get showing off our love, Little Changye will figure it out herself in no time once she joins in the Martial Arts Club and comes to classes for a week.


      "I knew it!" Shouted Yan Xiaoling in great delight with her right hand waving in the air.


      How exciting it is! I'm chatting with Lou Cheng's girlfriend now!


      Hmm! They doubted my intuition!


      "I saw you guessed so." Yan Zheke's dimples appeared along with a sweet smile. She then naturally changed the topic to interesting stuff on the forum.


      She was a girl of details, very good at socializing. She didn't mention any of Eternal Nightfall's dark history, so she wouldn't feel embarrassed in front of her roommates. However, she underestimated Yan Xiaoling. How could a girl so used to self-deprecation control her mouth when it came to a familiar topic? She immediately revealed her true form and exposed many of her embarrassing moments.


      He Zi and Mu Jinnian didn't know much about Yan Zheke or Lou Cheng's fans club. It would have been hard for them to get involved in this conversation but Yan Xiaoling's self-deprecation made it a lot easier. They couldn't help asking for details and the conversation went on merrily.


      Once Yan Xiaoling calmed down, she at once realized how wrong it had been and noticed her roommates' strange eyes on her as if saying,


      Yan Xiaoling, we didn't expect this from you!


      "Boo... I want to die!" Yan Xiaoling covered her face with her hands.


      Yan Zheke covered her mouth and chuckled, her body rocking back and forth slightly. She took a glance at her watch and asked, "Little Changye, will you participate in the special training?"


      "Special training?" Details about the special training flashed in Yan Xiaoling's head and her face turned paler.


      "I... I don't think I will... Look at my skinny arms and legs... "


      Four hours training every day... I'd rather die!


      Lazy as me, I only eat one meal a day so I don't have to get up early... No way I'm joining in the special training!


      However, a sudden disappointment and pity hit her. "Not in the special training, I can't watch Lou Cheng exercise or get first-hand information... "


      "I... Knew... It..." Yan Zheke said word by word silently before putting on a gentle smile. "What about some office work for the club? Do you want to help Sister Xiaowen organize on-site cheering?"


      Yan Xiaoling was pleasantly surprised! "No special training but I can hang out in the Martial Arts Club all the time! This is amazing!"


      "Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!" She happily agreed.


      "Go and find Sister Xiaowen later. That one." Yan Zheke pointed at Li Xiaowen before giving her QQ number to Yan Xiaoling. "I have to go back now."


      "Bye, sister. You are so nice!" Yan Xiaoling waved excitedly.


      She's a perfect match for Lou Cheng!


      Yan Xiaoling took out her mobile and published a new post on the forum, beginning with an arrogant and complacent emoji.


      "Ha-hah... Breaking news! But I'm not telling anyone!"


      "Not interested! Get lost!" Brahman, waiting for her live broadcast, replied at once.


      Yan Xiaoling didn't feel scolded at all. She sent a waggling emoji and replied, "Brahman, I really want to share with you but the senior sister is so sweet. I must keep the secret for her."


      Ask me. Ask me!


      How soft-hearted I am!


      "Senior sister... Lou Cheng's girlfriend?" Okamoto's Fan hit right at the point.


      "I... I didn't say anything!" Yan Xiaoling pouted innocently as she typed.


      "Really? Is it the beautiful member of the Martial Arts Club?" There were not many possibilities. Brahman began with the most likely one.


      "How did you get it so easily? That makes me feel less good about it!" Yan Xiaoling added the "face full of tears" emoji.


      Mu Jinnian asked out of confusion, "Ling, do you know how to organize on-site cheering?


      "You agreed to it so fast with zero hesitation."


      "Of course!" Yan Xiaoling straightened her chest. "I'm a pro... "


      She felt disbelief in He Zi and Mu Jinnian's eyes and quickly added,


      "Fan."


      Hah... A professional fan.


      …


      Yan Zheke stepped back to Lou Cheng quickly and lightly, carrying a smile while recalling Little Changye's amusing responses.


      "You... You went to meet Eternal Nightfall?" Asked Lou Cheng nervously. He didn't quite understand why he felt so nervous.


      "Can't I?" Yan Zheke tilted her head with a faint smile.


      "Sure. No problem!" Lou Cheng made his attitude clear before continuing with his questions, "I'm just curious... I thought you would stay away from her just like me."


      He didn't forget to give himself some credit.


      Yan Zheke chuckled, her eyes glancing across Lou Cheng's face. "I had a very complicated feeling at the beginning. Then I thought it through and decided to be more open-minded about it. Hmm... Little Changye didn't let me down. She is a very interesting and honest kid."


      "Don't try to sound old. Ke, you are only 18 years and 10 months old." Lou Cheng felt relieved and poked fun at his girlfriend.


      Yan Zheke bit her lower lip and said with some emotion,


      "Cheng, sometimes I feel confused. Am I too rational, too polite or too concerned about interpersonal relationships? I want to do my best at everything. This time when I went back for my grandpa's birthday, some relatives made improper jokes at me and introduced me to some youths promising and talented to their standard. They said I should keep these options open for after my graduation but I just wanted to walk away and yell at them that I have a boyfriend already. Then I thought that would be silly and rude. So I smiled hypocritically instead of saying anything.


      "Sigh... Sometimes I just want to be capricious and be myself."


      At the beginning of the special training, the Martial Arts Club only gave three days off during the long holiday. Yan Zheke went back to attend her grandpa's 70s birthday celebration and Lou Cheng's short trip plan failed before made.


      Listening to his girlfriend's rare complain, Lou Cheng tried to comfort her humorously. "Aren't you already capricious? Your family doesn't want you to have a relationship during your university years but you are dating me. How does it feel to free yourself?"


      Yan Zheke glared at him with affection, her lips pursed and her head turned away. She lowered her voice so no one could hear her,


      "Not bad!"


      Cai Zongming walked into the ring to host the orientation as the club manager.


      Lou Cheng burst into a laugh as soon as he saw him.


      "Ha-hah... Is it really Talker?


      "He used to describe Manager Chen's brows as flying bugs... Now his hair is so sleek that no bug can land! Any bug would slip on his hair!"


      Yan Zheke was also amused by Little Ming but her comment was interrupted by the vibration in her pocket.


      She took her phone out, confused, and saw a message from Yan Xiaoling with an emoji brimming with expectations.


      "Sister, may I ask you a question? What kind of person is Lou Cheng? We are all very curious."


      Yan Zheke pursed her lips and smiled, recalling the past and praising her thought into words, her eyes softening gradually.


      She lowered her head and began to type, the corners of her mouth turning upward subconsciously.


      "Just like what you felt before."


      A boy very warm, very thoughtful and very caring.


      About how funny he is... I'll keep it to myself.


      …


      Time went by quickly in their hard training. One week before the Professional Ranking Event, the sortition ceremony for the regional stage of the national university martial arts competition took place, two weeks earlier than that of last year.


      Every member of the martial arts club gathered in the office, waiting for the live broadcast.


      Their performance last year was awful. Lou Cheng and Lin Que were not invited to the scene of the event. A teacher of the university was assigned as the representative.




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     309 Every Dog Has Its Day
      In the office of Martial Arts Club, there was not only veteran players, like Lou Cheng and Lin Que, but also new members, like He Zi, Mu Jinnian, and Wang Dali, who had only been training for two weeks. Even Shu Rui was there guiding the cameraman to record the daily life in the club.


      It was late October, so the weather has gradually turned cold. Shu Rui, who often came here recently, was wearing a casual thin sweater and a skirt that went down to the knees, instead of something more professional. Dressing in such a youthful style made her look like a college student, causing Li Mao, Wang Dali, and the others to glance at her occasionally.


      "Take it easy, don't worry about the camera. Just pretend that you don't see us and keep chatting like you would usually." Looking around with her sharp eyes, Shu Rui was trying to find topics for them.


      However, no one took her words seriously. They all wanted to show a good image to the people who watched this interview.


      While all the new members like He Zi were so nervous that they kept moving slowly to hide behind someone's back, Geezer Shi, who was still enjoying his wine and spicy peanuts, didn't seem to care about the reporter at all. On the other side, Lin Que was standing quietly with his hands in his pockets. From this angle, Shu Rui could see his sharp profile and stoic expression.


      On the computer screen, those several special guests were still making their boring speeches.


      Leaning back in his seat, Lou Cheng took out his cellphone to text Yan Zheke, who was sitting next to him. He typed, "I feel so uncomfortable in front of the camera," followed by a crying emoji.


      Having been informed in advance that Shu Rui would come to take videos of them, Yan Zheke even applied makeup before she went to the martial arts club today. While keeping her makeup simple, she was wearing a cotton skirt and silk stockings, which made her as pretty as a picture in the interior light. Lou Cheng had been praising her as a little fairy.


      Noticing what her boyfriend was doing, Yan Zheke also took out her cell phone. After replying to Lou Cheng with a "laughing behind hand" emoji, she wrote, "Isn't it weird? Why can't we chat face to face?"


      "We have no choice since the reporter is staring at us!" Lou Cheng sent a painful emoji.


      "Can't you keep quiet for a while instead of annoying me?" Yan Zheke replied with a "looking upwards" emoji, pretending to get angry. But she was actually feeling happy.



      Lou Cheng replied with finality. "I can't!"


      Yan Zheke arched her eyes and eyebrows and sent a "touch your head" emoji. "Okay, let elder sister take care of you~!"


      "Hehe, you're so cute when you call yourself senior sister." Lou Cheng "giggled".


      "Really? Is that the only time you think I'm cute?" Yan Zheke replied with a "sit and wait for praise with a lovely face" emoji.


      "Not exactly. You are even cuter when you call me Pervert!" Lou Cheng replied with a sinister smile.


      Puff… Yan Zheke bit her pink lip as soon as she saw the text. Her body was trembling because she was having trouble stifling a laugh and resisting the urge to give her boyfriend a supercilious look, as well as a kick. Gnashing her teeth, she typed with great force.


      "I'll call the police!"


      Lou Cheng's mouth twitched with laughter unconsciously, and it took him great effort to control his facial expression. In the eyes of Shu Rui, and everyone else who didn't know they were flirting, the two of them were just playing with their cell phones as a retreat from the boring speech.


      After a while, Lou Cheng suddenly remembered something, so he sent an emoji with a question mark above its head.


      "Ke, isn't it said that when someone reaches the Inhuman level, his foundation will gradually change and his offspring might be born with a supernatural ability? Why hasn't your cousin awakened any abilities?"


      He had been considering how to decrease Lin Que's vulnerabilities, due to low stamina, when the question occurred to him.


      Zheke's grandpa, Ji Jianzhang, was an elder of Shushan Study, who had already reached First Pin with physical invulnerability decades ago. Zheke's grandma, Dou Ning, was also an elder of Shushan Study, so there was a great possibility that their kids might awaken a supernatural ability.


      "Stupid Cheng, just as you said, it's a possibility, not a certainty~" Yan Zheke replied with an emoji laughing with tears, "Besides, the foundation change at the inhuman level is actually small and unstable, so most kids are unable to inherit a supernatural ability unless their parents had both become physical-invulnerability warriors before giving birth. My uncle and aunt were born while my grandpa was at a low-level Dan stage and inhuman level, so neither of them inherited any supernatural abilities unless their abilities just haven't appeared yet. My mother was the only child born after my grandparents had both gained physical invulnerability, and that was why she awakened a supernatural ability."


      "What? Your mother has a supernatural ability?" Lou Cheng wrote while slightly dazed.


      Yan Zheke replied with a "Cheers!" emoji, which was preferred by those aged ones. "Bingo!"


      "Since she never paid much attention to martial arts and supernatural ability training, she's at most an eighth-pin fighter now… " Yan Zheke said and then added, "My aunt was born in the period when my grandparents were both at the Inhuman level, so she might have inherited the superior foundation, and my brother might awaken a supernatural ability one day… Sigh, though I'm also capable of awakening a supernatural ability, being congenitally deficient might prevent me from inheriting it… "


      Lou Cheng replied to her with a "hug" and replied, "Don't worry. Your technique and Martial Arts are both developing, and it's likely that your condition will be cured one day!"


      "You are copying me~!" Yan Zheke complained.


      "I'm actually reviewing coach Yan's instruction!" Lou Cheng seized the opportunity to praise her.


      Yan Zheke put both hands on her hips and shook her head to show her pride, then she sent another "laugh behind one hand" and wrote, "Actually it doesn't matter now because I've already become used to it and let it go. To be honest, I even feel a little lucky."


      "Why do you feel lucky?" Lou Cheng asked in confusion.


      "Hehe, I'll tell you later~" Yan Zheke replied with a soft voice and lowered eyes.


      If she hadn't been born congenitally deficient, she would have lived a different life, in which it is unlikely she would have stayed in Xiushan during senior high and come to Songcheng. They would remain unfamiliar with each other, never getting the opportunity to encounter, hug, and kiss each other.


      It's the luckiest thing for me to meet you in the best years of my life.


      When our hair turns grey and we are still together hand in hand, that's when I'll tell you.


      Finally, the performance on stage came to an end with the guests finishing their speeches. Then, the mighty one of physical invulnerability, who was invited to draw the lots for this ceremony, stepped onto the stage.


      She was Qian Hui the Witch, who had just reached the physical-invulnerability level in the first half of the year. This 27-year-old girl was the leading player of Haiyuan Club, a second-class club that was aiming for first class.


      Qian Hui was closely related to the University Martial Arts Competition, and that was why she was invited by the committee to attend the ceremony, even though she was a new mighty one.


      Before Peng Leyun, Ren Li, and the other talented fighters flooded into the university martial arts circle, Qian Hui was already the representative character in this circle. She was one of the rare examples who were able to climb to the top of martial arts, step by step, after graduating from university. Her successful image was of great importance to the junior brothers and sisters following her.


      Qian Hui cropped her hair in a brush cut, which gave her the appearance of a feminine boy, but her eyes were as deep as the ocean and full of magical charm. Even the hostess was afraid to make eye contact with her, causing her to look away unnaturally while reading the rules.


      The most popular rumor about the Witch was that she would hypnotize anyone who dared to look into her eyes.


      While Qian Hui was making her short speech, the television camera turned to the stands to catch the top two teams in the last competition, Shanbei University Martial Arts Club and Sanjiang College Martial Arts Club.


      Peng Leyun was leaning back in his seat with unfocused eyes, relaxing in his imaginary world. While those familiar with him knew it was just part of his personality, anyone who didn't know him well might think of it as arrogant behavior that meant he was looking down on his opponents and the ceremony.


      Xu Wannian, who was still wearing heavy pouches, as usual, straightened his body unconsciously while focusing on the upcoming ceremony. The one sitting beside him was Fan Zhirong, a good-looking boy with a freckled face, was currently wearing a ferocious expression.


      In Sanjiang College's area, Qu Hui was wearing a tailcoat, looking both poised and composed. But he had changed the position of his hands unconsciously, locking his fingers in front of his stomach, giving away how anxious he was.


      It wasn't long before Qian Hui turned the subject to the committee's adjustment to the University Martial Arts Competition this year.


      The first part of the competition, four groups with four seeded players, remained unchanged. The other teams would then draw lots and join in two or three knockout rounds before finally entering the corresponding group. The teams who drew the left position would compete at home. Group competition also adopted the single round robin system, and only the first two would remain in the competition.


      Then there would be cross duels. The first would fight against the second as part of the knockout for the top-eight, and only four of them would remain in the arena.


      In the previous competition, the top-four groups joined in another knockout round, and the winner went to the capital. However, there was a chance promising teams might encounter each other in the advancing competitions, losing the chance to advance. Because of that, the committee adjusted the rules. The top-four teams would still adopt the round robin system, but the top two teams would go to the capital for the National Finals.


      It added an extra round to the competition this year, and that was why the district contest for the martial arts competition was being held a week earlier than the previous year, which was on the same week as the end of the Professional Ranking Event.


      "Good news!" Cai Zongming said with a big smile.


      It meant that Songcheng University Martial Arts Club was still likely to get a spot in the national finals, even if they encountered Shanbei University's team before the national finals.


      "It seems we'll fight against Shanbei University at least once." Li Mao said and then sighed.


      The top-four teams would fight in the single round robin system!


      Exchanging a look and a smile with Yan Zheke, Lou Cheng turned his gaze towards Lin Que, his Brother-in-law, and gave him a victory sign while clenching his fist.


      Peng Leyun came, as expected!


      Withdrawing his hands from his pocket, Lin Que returned the same gesture to Lou Cheng with a fire burning in his eyes!


      Geezer Shi let out a 'heh' and poured the last drop of wine down his throat.


      "Group A, Shanbei University… Group B, Haiyuan School… Group C, Shannan University… Group D, Sanjiang College… " Qian Hui drew the seed groups first.


      These dominant teams were also the top-four last year.


      As the lot-drawing continued, groups were picked one by one. While some of them immediately appeared to be happy, some of them were instantly depressed.


      "Group C, the fifth Knockout, Home Field, Songcheng University Martial Arts Club!" The special guest said as eyes immediately lit up.


      Lou Cheng and Lin Que were both well-known warriors!


      "Fight against Shannan University in the group competition… " Murmuring to herself, Yan Zheke smiled and showed her dimples.


      While Shannan and Haiyuan were both weaker than Sanjiang, Sanjiang was also weaker than Shanbei.


      Failing to keep a serious face in light of the good news, Li Mao and other team members began giving each other a high-five to celebrate their good luck in front of the television camera.


      Lou Cheng cleared his throat and said as a warning to them,


      "Shannan is not as weak as you think since they have three Professional Ninth Pin warriors this year with Mu Yu as the leading player. Mu Yu was also a warrior with a supernatural ability. He is called Bane and known to be a tough opponent."


      "Yes!" Several members of the Martial Arts Club agreed gladly.


      Why should we be scared of Bane as long as you and Lin Que are with us?


      …


      In the area of Shannan University, the team members also gathered together to wait for the drawing result.


      Hearing that Songcheng University was in Group C, they immediately held their breath and froze along with the atmosphere.


      "Nothing serious, we are still able to take second place even if we lose to them." Mu Yu said, after a long pause, breaking the silence with comforting words.


      Because Mu Yu Looked like a man in his forties, which is twice his real age, he got the nickname Old Fellow Mu from his companions. His supernatural ability was Misfortune and it caused all of his opponents to be unlucky during the match. But the use of his supernatural ability came at the expense of fortune of those around him. For each time he won a match, one of his friends would be a bit unlucky in the following three days.


      That was why there was no coach or counselor in Shannan University Martial Arts Club…


      "Maybe we can win against them? Captain, although I used to believe in science, now you are my only faith!" said Lin Xiaozhi. As another leading player in their Martial Arts Club, she was attempting to cheer the others up.


      Though Lin Xiaozhi's ponytail gave her a fresh and clean look, the way she dressed was actually awkward and funny. She was wearing a necklace strung with a Taoist amulet, a string of blessed Buddhist beads on her left wrist, and a small and exquisite cross in her right hand. Even her clothes were embroidered with Arabic prayer words. Obviously, she was trying methods from many different religions to resist the misfortune caused by her dear captain.


      "Let's give it a try, and then we will know the truth!" Mu Yu said while clenching his teeth and fist.


      …


      "The fifth knockout, Opponent's Field... " The special guest drew out the Songcheng University's opponent in the first round of the knockout, "Guannan School."


      "Guannan School!" In Songcheng University Martial Arts Club's office, Li Mao, Sun Jian and Cai Zongming were stunned but immediately began cheering.


      They lost to Guannan School last year, missing the opportunity to advance, which they would never forget!


      Now they had a chance to get revenge and prove every dog has its day!


      Blinking his eyes to calm down, Lin Que put his right hand back into his pocket and clenched the fist secretly.


      Lou Cheng was instantly cheered up by the news and gave Yan Zheke a joyful look. Then he gave the television camera, which had just turned towards him, a big smile.


      What a good opponent!


      They would rise from the place where they had once fallen down!




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     310 We Are Coming
      While everyone was cheering in the office, Guo Qing tapped the table and yelled happily, "Senior sister Lin, tell us something about Guannan School's current situation!"


      One of Lin Hua's close friends was studying in Guannan School, and they would often give her inside information about the school. So she began revealing that information while thinking, "Gu Yue was a senior student, of Professional Ninth Pin, and he was one of the toughest ones in Guannan School. Fei Sanli is said to be close to Professional Ninth Pin, but he hasn't attended the Ranking Event yet, so his real level remains to be seen. Ji Lan got the certification of Amateur First Pin in June, and the highest level out of all the newcomers was Amateur Second Pin."


      Hearing the current situation in Guannan School, Li Mao, Sun Jian and others were all lost in thought.


      A year has passed. Ji Lan had advanced one Pin further, and Fei Sanli had advanced a half-step. Though Gu Yue had also advanced to some extent, he was still unable to reach the threshold of Dan stage. All these changes were common to see in normal martial arts clubs. However, things were different in their own club. Last year, they only had one Professional Ninth Pin fighter, one Amateur First Pin fighter, and several fellows of Amateur Second or Third Pin. Now, there were two Dan-stage warriors, one borderline Professional Ninth Pin fighter, and several students at Amateur First or Second Pin in their club, which was more like a dream for the other schools!


      …


      In Guannan School Martial Arts Club.


      Seeing the results after the lots were drawn, Ji Lan blurted out with great astonishment, fear, and depression.


      "What a coincidence!"


      What a coincidence, that they would draw Songcheng University, the same opponent as last year.


      "Damn it!" Gu Yue tightened his muscles so much that they quivered beneath his clothes, then he grabbed a glass off the table and threw it on the ground.


      Hearing the sound of the glass breaking, several new members stepped back out of fear, not daring to face their angry club manager.


      After Gu Yue strode out of the office with broad steps, Fei Sanli touched his bald head and smiled wryly.


      "We can already see the result of this year's competition. I'd better join next week's Ranking Event for Professional Ninth Pin, in order to not waste time. Let's go, let's go."



      Waving his hand, Fei Sanli also exited the room, leaving the speechless new members behind with Ji Lan, who was still clenching her teeth.


      "Ji Lan, read the ranking list of Songcheng University's substitutes' strength. They mustn't let both Lou Cheng and Lin Que fight against us," said coach Gu Zhen, as he touched his grey hair and sighed.


      After aking a deep breather, Ji Lan pulled out her cellphone and began to read the list in a stifled voice.


      "Li Mao, Amateur First Pin; Sun Jian, Amateur First Pin; Yan Zheke, Amateur Second Pin, but she didn't attend the Ranking Event on September; Lin Hua, Amateur Second Pin; Cai Zongming, Amateur Second Pin; He Zi, Amateur Second Pin; Wang Dali, Amateur Second Pin; Jin Lu, Amateur Second Pin; Guo Qing, Amateur Third Pin; Mu Jinnian, Amateur Third Pin… "


      After reading it all, Ji Lan thought to herself,


      "As for their leading players, Lou Cheng is a Professional Eighth Pin warrior with Seventh Pin strength, and Lin Que is a Dan-stage warrior that is stronger than some Eighth Pin warriors. They are definitely among the top-four of this competition!"


      Is it possible for us to win this fight?


      Friendship first, competition second?


      …


      The autumn sky was clear, and the crisp night-air carried a refreshing breeze.


      Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke were taking a walk hand in hand along the lakeside, basking in the joy of the good result from the drawing. They were also reminiscing about was last year's competition and their future goals.


      The freezing air was flowing against their faces, so gently that not even the water was rippling. After chatting for a while, Lou Cheng was preparing to leave, when he noticed Zheke lightly pulling his sleeve.


      "What's wrong?" He said, looking towards her while smiling.


      He seldom saw Zheke act like this.


      Yan Zheke stood there wearing Lou Cheng's coat, with her long black hair hanging casually behind her, serving as the background to her small white face. Her eyelashes were trembling as she carefully said, "Cheng, I have something to discuss with you."


      "What's the matter?" Lou Cheng said in confusion.


      "I don't want to attend next week's Ranking Event for Professional Ninth Pin… " Yan Zheke said, less confidently, "I'm not confident, and I just planned on training myself in the Ranking Event to gain some experience for the district contest. Now that the Martial Arts Competition will be held one week earlier, I'm afraid there won't be enough time for me to recover from the Ranking Event, so I've decided not to put the cart before the horse."


      Normally, She would have talked to Cheng in a rational and direct manner that matched her character and style, but she felt insecure and guilty when she was about to tell the truth.


      Damn it! Why should I feel guilty?


      Lou Cheng had already anticipated Zheke's change of mind when he heard the adjustment to the competition's schedule, so he responded with a smile instead of feeling surprised, and said,


      "It's reasonable. The Ranking Event for Professional Ninth Pin will last for two weeks and four days, with three high-level matches per day. Since you don't have the same abnormal stamina as me, it would be difficult for you to recover from the Event within one week."


      Though saying it like this, Lou Cheng was actually feeling slightly regretful and disappointed. Though they were back in Songcheng for two months now, he had yet to find a chance to spend time with Zheke. He had intended to book a hotel room for their precious time together during the Ranking Event, but now it seemed unlikely. What a pity…


      Thinking of this, Lou Cheng smiled in order to let Ke know he wasn't annoyed at all, and said,


      "It's okay, we will have plenty of chances in the future."


      Yan Zheke pretended to be irritated with him while giving him a punch out of both anger and joy.


      "What are you talking about!"


      "I mean that we will have more chances to attend the Ranking Event for Professional Ninth Pin in the future… " Lou Cheng said while giggling.


      Before he could finish his explanation, Yan Zheke closed her eyes, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed the corner of Lou Cheng mouth. Then she deliberately said with a soft voice,


      "Honey, you're perfect."


      Right after the kiss, Zheke turned to run away with a red face while waving her hands, leaving behind a string of laughter as she left.


      After being stunned for two or three seconds, Lou Cheng touched his mouth while smiling, and then lengthened his stride to keep up with her.


      Only at moments like this could Lou Cheng, a mature young man who had experienced many things, see the 19-year-old boy living in his heart.


      …


      Yan Zheke went back to her dorm at a brisk pace. As she opened the door, Yan Zheke asked, in order to prevent being made fun of by Li Liantong, "Dirty Tong, are you still studying? It's already so late."


      Li Liantong gave out a sad cry, "It's not what I want!"


      "I'm only a sophomore, but professional courses are piling up with an increasing degree of difficulty. Damn it, I'm already worn out from translating all these Latin words!"


      Yan Zheke could understand Dirty Tong's feelings since she was also suffering. "Me too! Just listening to the teacher isn't enough to help us comprehend the subject. We used to go out and have fun once a week, but now it's once every two or three weeks."


      Of course, such hard work helped maintain her spot in the top 5% of her class. As for those who just wanted to graduate with an Undergraduate Diploma and Degree Certificate, they only needed to listen to the teachers carefully and review before the exam. So they still had enough time for fun.


      Sigh… Recently, she was open about going on dates with Cheng in the self-study room and library…


      "Once every two or three weeks? How could your Cheng bear it?" said Li Liantong, while turning to give Zheke a surprised look and implying something lewd.


      "What are you talking about! We see each other every day!" Yan Zheke pretended not to understand her words.


      Li Liantong tut-tutted, "You have been dating for nearly nine months, right? Hasn't your relationship developed? I don't believe that your Cheng is an ascetic monk! He is an energetic young man, who can't help wanting more once he's had a taste… "


      Before she could finish talking, Yan Zheke picked up the decorative telephone and said angrily,


      "Hello, 110? There is a female hoodlum here!"


      Their conversation amused Shi Xiangyang and Zong Yanru. Even so, Zong Yanru helped change the topic because she was close friends with Yan Zheke. "Dirty Tong, I can't agree with you. What's wrong with a monk? I remember this saying from a book. One for Buddhism, two for the monk, three for the lustful devil, four for Asmodeus."


      Li Liantong nodded immediately, "Yes, yes, yes, there are lots of face time with a monk as the main character!"


      Being successful in changing the topic, Yan Zheke breathed with relief. While listening to the girls' chatting, she took out her cell phone to reply to Lou Cheng's text and logged in to the forum to see the public's attitude towards the result of the drawing.


      In the Lou Cheng fan forum, "Eternal Nightfall," Yan Xiaoling posted a topic titled "Broadcast for 'Martial Arts Club's Reaction to the Drawing!'"


      In the main post, she wrote, "So sad. I didn't attend the ceremony because I was scared of the television camera, no, cross this part out, cross this part out. I wasn't allowed to enter the office since I'm not a special-training fighter, but I had an undercover source in the office. Let's welcome reporter He Zi, no, reporter 'Many Cats,' for the scoop~"


      In the second post of this topic, "Many Cats" wrote,


      "… When drawing Guannan School, Lou Cheng gazed at senior sister Yan for the 28th times tonight, and senior sister Yan looked back for the 28th time, too."


      "What?" Yan Zheke opened her mouth with an innocent look, and then looked up while recalling all her actions tonight. She began seriously counting the number of times she made eye contact with Cheng.


      She's lying! I only made eye contact with Cheng 19 times.


      Turning her gaze downwards, she continued to read the report. "… Lin Que closed his eyes and put both hands in his pockets with usual, emotionless, expression. He doesn't know that Jinjin is always looking at him. Club manager Cai Zongming is chatting with senior brother Li Mao happily, but it seems brother Li Mao wanted to cover his ears with his hands several times. Reporter Shu is like a shark that smelled blood, constantly shifting her attention from one fighter to another. Senior sister Guo Qing gave Senior sister Lin Hua a big hug. Coach Shi finished drinking all his wine and is now shaking his bottle to see if there is an extra drop. It seems he doesn't care about the drawing at all… "


      While reading the descriptions, Yan Zheke kept a soft smile on her face. She was now surrounded by a warm feeling.


      This is our Martial Arts Club, ours…


      "Then what about you, reporter Cat?" Unparalleled Dragon King asked out of curiosity.


      "Many Cats" replied, "Meow, meow, meow?"


      …


      The busy and fulfilling days passed quickly, and the University Martial Arts Competition was nearer and nearer. Finally, Saturday came.


      Mu Jinnian and Yan Xiaoling, who failed to enter the competition, came together to the gymnasium. There were already so many people here, among which they saw many schoolmates.


      "I'm so excited, we are playing on our home ground!" Taking advantage of her height, Yan Xiaoling jumped around in the stands until she finally found seats for both of them.


      Mu Jinnian was wearing a white Songcheng University martial arts suit with black borders and a backpack, from which she took out a banner with Lin Que's name on it and cheering equipment, a vuvuzela, and an inflatable hammer.


      "Wow… Jinjin, you brought all this?" Yan Xiaoling said while staring in astonishment.


      "Shouldn't I bring these things?" Mu Jinnian said while looking at her in confusion, "You didn't prepare anything for the competition? Aren't you a big fan?"


      "I, I'm too excited… Well, I'm going to help senior sister Wen!" said Yan Xiaoling, leaving her seat in embarrassment.


      Fanfan, Dragon King, Okamoto, Bull Demon King, Naive, Qiqi… I fail to live up to the forum!


      …


      In the locker room for the home team, Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke were sitting on a bench shoulder to shoulder. They both leaned back against the wall to relax and wait for their turn.


      He heard the cheering and yelling from outside, which reminded him of what had happened last time they played on home ground.


      They lost the game to Wensheng School and Zhou Zhengquan, but none of them got discouraged. Instead, they all shouted, "We'll be back"!


      With all these thoughts flashing through his mind, he found the cheering outside was gradually amplified and kept in good order.


      What were they cheering for? Lou Cheng turned his ear to the door out of curiosity and focused on listening.


      The sound became distinct and formed a tidal wave.


      "We're coming!"


      "We're coming!"


      "We'll be back… We're coming?" Lou Cheng soon understood the intentions of his schoolmates. They were actually extending their cheering from the last competition! It was their answer to last year!


      While fighting to keep his tears back, Lou Cheng clenched his fists.


      Yes, we are coming!


      Thank you for waiting all this time!




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     311 The Beginning
      The shouting voice pierced into the door of the locker room, in which all the resting fighters were cheered up and also began roaring in their mind.


      When they were looking at each other in excitement, Geezer Shi coughed to attract their attention,


      "Now it's time to arrange the fighting order. Lou Cheng, you're today's anchor and join in the third round."


      "Me?" Lou Cheng was surprised.


      Isn't my Brother-in-law supposed to be the anchor and thus compensate for the game he lost last year?


      I've even prepared to play with my towel on the substitute bench!


      At the same time, Lin Que stepped forward and volunteered, "Coach, let me fight!"


      Geezer Shi smiled, "Still obsessing about the game last year? Why do you even bother to remember someone of low level like him? It's good to have the desire to win but don't lower down yourself. Ok, that's it. You'll be the anchor last week."


      He made up his mind without leaving Lin Que a chance to say any more.


      It was rare that Lin Que ever made some requests. He became even quieter with mouth closed tightly.


      Geezer Shi looked around, took a sip of his wine and then said with a smile, "You all see it that Yan's performance was the best during this period of training. Oh, forget those two guys, they are abnormal! So if Yan be the leading player, I guess there is no one against it?"


      It was the first time that Coach Shi praised Yan Zheke publicly. Being too happy to hide her joy, the girl turned her gaze at Lou Cheng and nipped his hand secretly.


      I'm so happy!


      Yeah, it was only when Coach Shi gave me the compliments that he turned serious!


      Obviously the Internal Training Methods had been helping Yan Zheke to make rapid progress, so all the team members shook their head to show they had no objections.


      No one dared to lie about the truth since offending Yan Zheke was equal to offending Lou Cheng!


      What they didn't know was that offending Yan Zheke was also equal to offending Lin Que.



      "You're the first to fight today, just try your best in the purpose of improving yourself. Don't worry, there are always someone supporting you." Geezer Shi told her.


      "Yes! Coach Shi!" Yan Zheke folded her legs and straightened herself to stand like a soldier. But her cute tone with excitement in it immediately gave her away.


      Geezer Shi shook his head with a smile, for the girl's action reminded him of what his daughter looked like at Yan Zheke's age. Sighing slightly, he turned and asked Li Mao, "Are you confident enough to be the second one?"


      Though Li Mao used to get nervous in the arena, he had almost gotten it over after so many actual combats and matches. Not to mention that he got Lou Cheng's help this time, which thoroughly took the load off his mind. So Li Mao replied loudly,


      "No problem!"


      Though I've stood up from where I fall, I still want to challenge the gully that defeated me!


      After arranging the order of leading players, Geezer Shi said while pointing at his team members casually,


      "As for the substitute, I'll put them in rank order and old members first, okay?"


      "Sun Jian, Lin Hua, Cai Zongming"


      According to the rule of this University Martial Arts Competition, which was slightly different from the former one, at most nine fighters were permitted to enter one locker room, and it was the capacity of a team. Besides, the number of substitutes was also restricted to three.


      Hearing his name being announced, Sun Jian felt a little depressed, "You see, you're really a substitute now… " He said to himself.


      Sun Jian hadn't reached the stage of meditation yet and already fallen behind Yan Zheke and Li Mao. Maybe Cai Zongming would also surpass him within the next year.


      On the other side, Guo Qing was even more depressed, feeling she was now placed in an awkward position in the Martial Arts Club. Not only did she fail to be a leading player, she was even not in the substitute list. What was sadder was that, considering her rank, she wouldn't have been in the team if the coach hadn't given consideration to elder members!


      As for the new members He Zi and Wang Dali, they were curious about the locker room and kept recording everything with their eyes as if they were cameras. Obviously, they had no negative emotions at all.


      Cai Zongming sighed with emotion and whispered, "Our preparation is in vain."


      "What preparation?" asked Lou Cheng, full of curiosity.


      "I've made full preparation for the chat time before competition," Cai Zongming sighed, "What a pity that my great victory is going to be postponed."


      Lou Cheng rolled his eyes at Cai Zongming. "You're over thinking… "


      While they were satirizing each other, Geezer Shi let Jiang Fusheng write down their leading players and substitutes' name and hand the list over to the competition monitor.


      After no more than one minute, he applauded and said,


      "Alright, let's get out there!"


      When they reached the entrance, Lou Cheng asked Geezer Shi with lowered voice,


      "Master, there won't be much difference whether Lin Que or I join in this round, so why must you stop him?"


      It was so confusing and even coach Yan was wondering the reason.


      Geezer Shi let out a "heh" and said,


      "Haven't you heard the saying that the hardest thing is usually easy to break off?"


      "You are refining Lin Que?" Lou Cheng suddenly realized Geezer Shi's attempt.


      Geezer Shi smiled, "He should learn to soften his character, or else he might one day break himself off. Since great changes may trouble him, I have to refine his character from all these small aspects."


      "I see." Lou Cheng took two steps back and came to Yan Zheke's side, and then he told the girl what Geezer Shi had said.


      After several seconds of silence, Yan Zheke sighed,


      "My brother is too harsh to himself."


      Suddenly the door of the locker room was opened and all the shouts and cheering outside poured into everyone's eyes, igniting their passion.


      "Songcheng University! Songcheng University!"


      At this moment, students outside saw Lou Cheng and his team members, which fueled their cheering as if they had made a burst.


      "We're coming!"


      Lou Cheng blinked his eyes and then turned to look at Yan Zheke, from whose eyes he could read the same thoughts as him.


      National University Martial Arts Competitions, we're coming!


      ...


      There was no broadcasting or webcast of competition at this level, and even no reporters recording the process. Only Shu Rui was recording something with the help of her team as a preparation for her show.


      Standing at the edge of the stands, enjoying the cheering wave came from the crazy audiences, she could not help sighing with emotion,


      "It's so nice to be young… "


      I've once spend my youth on such things like them!


      However, now she was a woman fighting to survive, to maintain her romance in reality, to see her future more clearly and to keep a good relationship with others. All the business wore her out and swallowed up almost all her young dreams.


      But it might be a good choice to give vent to her pessimistic feelings and thoughts… Shu Rui felt her blood also began burning like the other youth, and she even wanted to follow her feeling to yell and scream, forgetting the reality.


      Not far near her, Li Liantong and the other members had already raised their hands to make a Mexican wave. In a farther place, Zhao Qiang and others were also yelling with a flushing face regardless of their usual urbanity.


      …


      In the locker room of the guest team.


      Hearing the cheering outside, which recalled him of the previous match, Gu Yue suddenly thought of a saying,


      "Times have changed."


      Taking a glance at his father, he spoke first, "As the accepted practice, I'll join in the first round and you decide your own orders. Let's have fun, even if we are doomed to lose the game."


      Obviously the last fighter of Songcheng University would be Lou Cheng or Lin Que in order to give their substitutes enough chances to practice in actual combat. So Gu Yue and his team were able to take a breath in the first few games. Considering all this, he should appoint Ji Lan as the vanguard to gain more experience from joining in more game, and thus make a contribution to the upgrading of our Martial Arts Club. However, he was a senior student now and wanted to graduate from school with the honor he deserved, so he was eager to draw a perfect conclusion to his school life with a great victory in the last Martial Arts Competition.


      It would not be called a failure if he lost the game to Lin Que or Lou Cheng after winning two rounds!


      Fei Sanli encountered a tough group in the Ranking Event two weeks before and failed to advance, which made him depressed and unwilling to discuss Gu Yue's arrangement with the other members. Taking a glance at Ji Lan, he accepted it in silence.


      As for Ji Lan, she actually did not care about the arrangement and just wanted to gain more experience of fighting against mighty ones of Dan stage


      They stood up one by one to leave the locker room, but the momentum of last year's competition was hardly to be seen in them.


      …


      After calling the leading players and substitutes name along with the broadcast, the referee went onto the arena, make a gesture to stop the excited crowds and announced loudly,


      "Competition between Songcheng University Martial Arts Club and Guannan School Martial Arts Club, round one."


      "Yan Zheke versus Gu Yue!"


      Upon hearing the impressive beauty's name, a new wave of cheering and vuvuzela burst out from the stands.


      "Fighting against Gu Yue…" Lou Cheng gave Yan Zheke a smile without leaking his worries, "Your challenge comes."


      "Yeah!" Yan Zheke nodded with a serious look. Then she stood up, gave Lou Cheng, Lin Que and other fellows five, and then walked toward the arena.


      The charming girl had put up her hair to show her bright eyes and white teeth.


      Gu Yue had never expected that his first opponent would be this girl and was stunned for a moment. When he regained consciousness, he saw Yan Zheke standing in front of him and the referee's raised hand.


      "The talk time starts."


      "According to the collected information of Yan Zheke, she was just of Amateur Twice Pin but she was absent from the Ranking Event this September… Now that she replaced Sun Jian, who was of Amateur First Pin, to join in the first round, she should be at least an Amateur-First-Pin fighter and even higher than that… She looked graceful as a well-educated girl who didn't know how to quarrel with others and was easy to be influence by opponent's words… " As the thoughts flashed through Gu Yue's mind, he laughed deliberately.


      "Though there are lots of female physical-invulnerability warriors, I have to say that the arena belongs to men and you women had better come home for housework! Special case is after a special case!"


      Yan Zheke was immediately annoyed by him and was about to argue back. However, she calmed down before acting as she knew Gu Yue would not debate with her peacefully. When it came to cursing and calling someone's names, she could not even match a pupil.


      He was so disgusting!


      Obviously he is being unreasonable!


      Taking a deep breath, Yan Zheke closed her eyes to calm herself down regardless of Gu Yue's continuous taunt. Then she began reciting in her mind a sentence Lou Cheng often told her.


      It's a competition of martial arts, not a debate. It's a competition of martial arts, not a debate. It's a competition of martial arts, not a debate…


      When Gu Yue realized the pretty girl was not affected by his words, he stopped talking. The three minutes was nearly up.


      Yan Zheke opened her eyes as she had adjusted the body condition to its peak.


      The referee looked at the electronic clock and raised his right hand. Then he swung it down with great force before announcing.


      "Start!"


      The National University Martial Arts Competitions started!




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     312 Catching
      Being an aggressive fighter, Gu Yue took the initiative to attack Yan Zheke because he thought she was a tender and pretty girl that he could completely suppress with his strength.


      He exerted force into his legs and ran toward her as fast as an arrow. In an instant, he crossed his left hand and twisted his back, hurling a right hook at her.


      Pop!


      His fierce attack cracked in the wind. In his mind, it sounded like the roar of the king of the beasts. This was Black Tiger Digs Heart!


      Facing such a ferocious attack, Yan Zheke neither dodged nor avoided him, despite her weak and powerless appearance. She stamped on the ground and allowed the force to travel from ankle to knee, into the spine, and finally into her arm.


      She raised her left arm to block Gu Yue's sound attack, while simultaneously punching with her right fist. They traded hard blows and fought strength with strength.


      Her response was somewhat beyond his expectations, but he was still confident enough not to amend his strategy.


      Bang!


      A dull sound echoed. Yan Zheke was trembling and her shoulder was forced backward, as if she was unable to withstand her opponent's force. Though her movements were agile by the rules, her face was flushed and her center of gravity unstable.


      He harrumphed; annoyed she dared to compete with him when it came to brute strength! Seeing an opportunity, Gu Yue stretched his body and transformed into the Herculean Spirit. He took large steps, gripping his right fist like it was a giant hammer, and fiercely smashed onto Yan Zheke's head without any show of mercy.


      Watching such a scene, everyone in the audience all gasped. Their hearts raced as they held onto their breaths.


      How could a young girl of Amateur Second Pin trade blow with a strong man of Professional Ninth Pin?


      Just then, Yan Zheke stopped abruptly without any previous indications. Though she was still trembling, her temples were bulging in an odd manner.


      Crouching with her legs pinned together, she was like a swaying wooden human ornament. Her right hand was made into a fist, seemingly to block her opponent's attack.


      Bang! The sound of their collision rang in the air, as web-like cracks appeared by their feet. Gu Yue was surprised to find Yan Zheke's fist was only slightly less powerful than his own. Coupled with her defensive stance, she had actually become his match!



      How could this be? Deeply shocked, he watched as the girl extended her left foot, borrowing power to land a kick.


      Snap! She stretched the muscles on her straight and slender leg tight and lean, yielding it like a hair-raising whip that landed on Gu Yue's knee. His pupils contracted as small as needlepoints.


      There was no ceasing of the Brutal Blizzard!


      This scene stunned Yan Zheke's classmates who sat in the audience and they wore similar astonished expressions. They never expected such a gentle girl to not only rival the large, muscular man, but also take the initiative to retaliate.


      The reason Yan Zheke accepted Gu Yue's sound attack head-on was because she wanted to determine the level of her power. Of course, she only made this decision because she was sufficiently confident in herself. Earlier, Lou Cheng had assured her that her physical state was close to the Ninth Pin.


      After the first blow, she was finally sure of her state. Her power was inferior to Gu Yue's, but not so weak that it was an unbridgeable gap. By moving a step back to unload her power, she was able to steadily block his attacks. She only moved backward because she was using the skill she had advanced by Leaps and Bounds, the Yin-yang Twist. This tactic borrowed her opponent's power to bridge their gap. Using this, she managed to gain the upper hand and attack with the 24 Blizzard Strikes.


      With the start of her blizzard strike, her attacks would only be stronger and fiercer!


      Gu Yue had no time to think. Confronted with her kick that constantly whipped the air, he tightened the muscles in his thighs. He twisted his waist and returned with a kick of his own out of defense.


      Boom! The moment their legs touched, they were bounced in opposite directions. Yan Zheke touched the ground quickly with her tiptoe. She leaned forward and pulled her right arm like a bow as she visualized gale and snowstorm in her mind.


      Pop! She punched violently, swinging her fist like a drill.


      Gu Yue had once suffered 24 Blizzard Strikes thanks to Lin Que, so he had a deep impression of it. He understood he could not allow his opponent to accumulate momentum to attack. He had to interrupt her, or else he would be in a very dangerous position.


      The muscles in his arm bulged and his back swung as he punched with a fist as violent as a whip. He withdrew his fist the moment he blocked her so he would not lend too much power to her.


      Pop! Gu Yue quickly retrieved his arms after he hit Yan Zheke's right fist with his Single Kick and tried to change a position to interrupt her rhythm of Brutal Blizzard.


      However, Yan Zheke once again began to tremble and she swung her right hand backward to prepare for another attack with her left hand.


      Pop! She yielded her left arm violently, like a gun shooting at Gu Yue's throat. She also continued to use Brutal Blizzard, which had become more and more powerful, not giving her opponent any chance to escape.


      This was the combination of Yin-yang Twist and 24 Blizzard Strikes!


      How could this be real?


      Gu Yue wondered how she managed to borrow enough power to launch this attack.


      He found this horrifying and dared not to look down upon the girl who looked very tender and pretty. He collected his power and exerted force in his shoulder to punch with his left hand.


      He cannot let this continue, or she will suppress him regarding both power and momentum after two or three attacks. In the end, all his resistance would be eliminated in the "snowstorm" she made!


      He needed to fight back with his killing shot!


      He was defeated by Lin Que last year, so he knew how ferocious 24 Blizzard Strikes was. Having thought for long about a way to counter such attack, he found he could use a temporary eruption method and secret mind disciplines like Thunder Break to interrupt her. In addition, there was another method, called Catching!


      That method was holding down his opponent's arms and interrupting her convergence!


      Gu Yue did not have Thunder Break, secret mind discipline, or martial arts with temporary eruptions like Blast Punch or Bear-shaped Movement. So he chose to use Catching to get himself out of his current difficulty. He has worked hard on this method after his match with Lin Que.


      It was now the time to use it!


      He hit out his left elbow violently and blocked Yan Zheke's attack with his fist.


      Crack. Exerted the abrupt explosive force into his five fingers, he instantly grasped Yan Zheke's forearms.


      So what if she has now achieved a mature level of meditation? He too has mastered the concealment of spirit and qi, so his Listening Skill was just as good!


      "She's done for!" Cries of concern came from the audience in the stand. Lou Cheng had his arms crossed, having stood up without even being aware of it.


      A little happy, Gu Yue was just about to shake all the joints in his body and use great power to defeat his opponent. But just then, Yan Zheke took a deep breath and bulged her temples, tautly pulling the muscles in her left arm inwards.


      Gu Yue's five fingers lost their target due to the tightening of her muscles and slid to the other side, giving Yan Zheke an opportunity to escape his hold. In the end, she even caught his wrist!


      Yan Zheke has been waiting for this opportunity for a long time!


      As a girl who liked making plans, she definitely has made good preparations when confronting with Gu Yue!


      She clearly knew it was impossible to defeat Gu Yue with the combination of Yin-yang Twist and 24 Blizzard Strikes in this round with her present stamina. Even Lin Que in this martial arts level last year could only finish one round of 24 Blizzard Strikes without the Yin-yang Twist. If she kept attacking him with this martial art, she would deplete her stamina before he would.


      So she decided to scare Gu Yue with the combined attacks first. Taking advantage of the fact that Gu Yue's ignorance of her abilities and his anxiety to rid of this difficult position, she then induced him to use Grasping Hand that he was good at.


      And when it came to such this catching method, Yan Zheke's family has a unique method to deal with it. Lin Que has also used this method against Lou Cheng in the past!


      In a split second, their roles changed. The audience was stunned to watch this change and they stopped cheering.


      Gu Yue was frightened when he found that Yan Zheke had held onto his arms, so he tried to tighten his arm and shake her away.


      "Hearing" his intention, Yan Zheke shifted her left hand back and forth like she was doing Tai Chi to offset his struggle.


      She lifted her waist and kicked her right leg violently, forcing Gu Yue to counterattack with his leg.


      Bang. Both of them withdrew their legs. After Yan Zheke borrowed force from the kick, she trembled and activated many joints. She exerted force into her five fingers to tear Gu Yue's arm ferociously like a tiger tearing its prey apart.


      "Ah!" Gu Yue screamed as the muscle in his arms distorted and his tendons were all fractured from one another.


      As he was screaming, Yan Zheke withdrew her arm and changed her posture. She visualized a scene about the collapsing of snow in her mind and fiercely bumped into Gu Yue.


      The mighty Mega Avalanche!


      Bang! The referee intercepted her deadly hit. The muscles in Gu Yue's face twitched and he was in so much pain that he was flushed with shame.


      "Round one, Yan Zheke wins!" The referee raised his right hand.


      Lost... He lost... He actually lost to a woman who was obviously weaker than him... Gu Yue forgot his pain and stood there, still in bewilderment.


      Was this the end of his four-year martial arts career in university?


      Bursting with joy, Yan Zheke turned around and waved her fist at the stand where the host team sat.


      She won, she really won! She had defeated a Professional Ninth Pin fighter!


      Lou Cheng smiled and waved his fist in response, afflicted with some inexplicable feelings.


      Ever since they started dating, he had gradually taken in charge of their exercise and practice. In other words, he was the one who instructed her to make progress step by step. It was such an unbelievable satisfaction to see her use a power close to the level of Professional Ninth Pin and defeat an unimaginably strong opponent.


      Unconsciously, Ke had also become powerful...


      "What are you thinking about?" Cai Zongming stood behind him and asked curiously.


      "How can I put it?" Lou Cheng made an analogy. "Watching Ke defeat Gu Yue is like watching my daughter grow up day by day, and who has unknowingly become an adult. Do you understand this feeling?"


      Cai Zongming thought for a moment and glanced at him. At last, he said contemptuously,


      "Pervert!"


      "F*ck, dirty people have dirty thoughts!" Lou Cheng also thought his friend's answer was hilarious.


      Just then, Ji Lan followed the referee's gesture and quickly entered the arena under the audience's cheering for Yan Zheke.


      Lou Cheng took a step backward to stand by Lin Que's side and smiled gently.


      "See? I may not even have the opportunity to fight this time. Maybe Ke and senior brother Li Mao can defeat all our enemies. There's really no need to mind opponents at this level."


      Instead of preaching lofty principles, he only told the truth to comfort his Brother-in-law because he thought his Brother-in-law was the kind of stubborn guy who would never obey the principles even when he knew they were right.


      Lin Que nodded slightly and felt a little relieved.


      "I thought you'd say something to me... " Lou Cheng casually added, too happy over Yan Zheke's victory that he was not truly thinking.


      Lin Que gave Lou Cheng a fleeting glance and answered with emotion.


      "I don't like cross talk."


      "What?" Lou Cheng wore a dumb look on his face.


      Cai Zongming next to him mused and said,


      "I think he's mocking us both... "




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     313 The Triple Kick
      Looking at Cai Zongming, Lou Cheng exclaimed with sudden realization.


      "It's not just a feeling, it's the truth... "


      F*ck, he was ridiculed by his Brother-in-law!


      He had always regarded him as a serious and cool man!


      Turning his back against Lin Que, Cai Zongming laughed and cocked his eyebrows. "Cheng, go ahead! Hit him!"


      He knew Lin Que would hear him at such a close distance no matter how he lowered his voice, so he was only joking around.


      "What you said is just like asking a dog to bite others." Lou Cheng looked at his friend contemptuously. "Why don't you hit him yourself?"


      "Me? If it's me, I'll be hit badly." Cai Zongming showed his powerlessness.


      "Haha! This reminds me of a joke about a hunter who tries to hunt a bear... " Lou Cheng pursed his mouth to hold back his laughter and did not manage to finish his sentence.


      Even so, Cai Zongming still completely understood what he meant for he had read many similar jokes. He also trembled and barely restrained his laughter. He cursed Lou Cheng, "Jackass."


      Just then, Ji Lan passed the stone stages and stood in front of Yan Zheke.


      Looking at her, Yan Zheke wondered if she should surrender so senior brother Li Mao could have his chance to fight Ji Lan. It would help him get a closure.


      Li Mao's nervousness had caused his defeat in Ji Lan's hands in December last year, resulting in Songcheng University Martial Arts Club failing to advance in the tournament.


      After considering it for a moment, Yan Zheke turned down the idea. It was so obvious and ritualistic, showing no respect to Ji Lan and placing more pressure on Li Mao. It might even backfire.


      She should just let it go... Yan Zheke sighed quietly and seized the precious remaining time to restore her body's condition.


      Even though the previous fight did not last long, she still expended a fair amount of energy with a powerful Professional Ninth Pin fighter. Especially during the process that she was trying her best to create opportunities, she had to remain in focus all the time. Once the fight ended, exhaustion was inevitable.



      After she let out her breath in a long exhalation, the referee raised his right hand and made a loud announcement.


      "Round two, start!"


      When Ji Lan first gathered information about Songcheng University Martial Arts Club, she noticed Yan Zheke did not participate in the amateur Ranking Event in September. Thus she suspected that Yan Zheke might be stronger than an Amateur First Pin fighter and was going to achieve the level of Professional Ninth Pin in late October. But Yan Zheke did not apply for the position, making Ji Lan doubt her speculation. But it turned out that she really did achieve the level of Professional Ninth Pin and even defeated the leader, Gu Yue, in a violent head-to-head match.


      Everyone in the Songcheng University Martial Arts Club were all monsters!


      Changing her opinion, Ji Lan decided on her familiar skirmish fighting style. She slid next to Yan Zheke with agility, kicking her so strongly that a crack rang in the air.


      Yan Zheke moved her right shoulder backward so she could confront Ji Lan face-to-face. She also whipped her leg into a kick that tore the air current and produced a sharp sound.


      Bang!


      Once their legs collided together, Yan Zheke used the borrowed power to retrieve her right leg and punched Ji Lan's abdomen at the same time.


      Ji Lan also used the borrowed power from the collision to agilely move backward. Given that she knew how horrifying and powerful 24 Blizzard Strikes was, she chose not to give her opponent any opportunity to continue this attack. Once the momentum accumulated, the attacks would only become more and more ferocious.


      Under this condition, Yan Zheke rushed forward silently to chase after her. While one retreated, the other chased, like they were dancing. The distance between them became closer.


      Throughout this process, Ji Lan made changes in direction several times. Yet she was still not as agile as Yan Zheke who has mastered the ability to control the center of her gravity. Ji Lan saw that she had no way of escaping and would be hit by Yan Zheke.


      She suddenly stopped, leaving Yan Zheke no time to stop and move a step closer to her. There was only an arm's length distance between them.


      Crack. Ji Lan lifted her right leg as fast as lightning to kick her opponent's chin.


      Her action, like the kicks in a dance performance, was to lift her leg to the shoulders. But had she not practiced her muscles to a great extent, she would hurt herself and would not stand there firmly as she exerted such fierce and rapid force in this kick.


      She kicked all of a sudden, without any indication, just like an assassin attack. The situation has just changed. Cold sweat ran down her back as she realized in that moment that she had been careless.


      In a split second, she chose to use her waist as a fulcrum point. She bent backward as fast as she could to avoid this ferocious kick.


      At the same time, she raised her hands to block the following killer moves as per her practice.


      Crack. The kick just barely passed before her eyes. She could even feel the roaring wind brought by the kick over her face.


      Because her aim had lost its target, Ji Lan exerted force into her waist to pull her right leg down. She launched an aggressive Downward Axe Kick, targeting her opponent's abdomen.


      The Interlocking Kicks!


      Half bending, Yan Zheke raised a hand to hold Ji Lan's Achilles tendon just in time and pushed it aside with a clenched fist.


      The moment two sides came into contact, Yan Zheke moved her lifted arm to unload the force in the kick. Combined with her fist, she barely managed to block the Downward Axe Kick.


      While watching this scene, the students in the stand were relieved. But because Ji Lan has borrowed some power from Yan Zheke's defense, she jumped into the air and kicked violently at Yan Zheke.


      The triple kick!


      Yan Zheke had no extra hand or leg to defend herself, so she was about to lose. She then bounced her waist and straightened her body with great power.


      With the help of the bouncing power, she pushed Ji Lan away with her arms. With Ji Lan forced so far away, Yan Zheke successfully avoided her killing kick.


      Ji Lan once again began the skirmish fighting style after failing with her triple kick. She moved and changed her positions constantly. She attacked her opponent with a low kick, sidekick, or back kick from time to time.


      Yan Zheke also calmed down as she blocked Ji Lan's attacks. But she maintained her attacking style, which was to take any opportunities to storm her enemy. This time she has become more careful.


      During the chasing process, she once again set her target on her opponent. Relying on her flexibility, she gradually narrowed her distance from Ji Lan. This time, she would definitely catch her.


      Clenching her teeth, Ji Lan jumped and abruptly kicked at her successively, quickly, and violently!


      She had been waiting for her! Yan Zheke had seen recordings of Ji Lan's matches and also had previous experience, so she was well prepared for her counterattack. Her spine suddenly bounced like a dragon bursting out of its shackles.


      She pulled her muscles taut and forcibly changed her center of gravity, pulling herself to the other side to avoid Ji Lan's flying double kick.


      Seizing the opportunity, she extended her hands to push Ji Lan, causing her to fall unsteadily.


      Before Ji Lan could get on her feet firmly, Yan Zheke had already rushed in front of her. She kicked her right leg at Ji Lan's abdomen and moved closer to her, causing Ji Lan to completely lose her center of gravity and close to falling over.


      Yan Zheke grasped Ji Lan's arm on time, pulling her back on her feet. She threw her right fist at Ji Lan's temple.


      "Round two, Yan Zheke wins!" the referee announced.


      Though Yan Zheke withdrew her fist happily, she was wheezing. She was physically and spiritually, feeling like she was experiencing qi deficiency and was close to her limit.


      She had been so focused during their fight earlier that she did not consider this issue. She was only concerned about winning against her opponent before completely exhausting herself!


      Ji Lan glanced at her and sighed in dismay before turning around and leaving the arena. Fei Sanli touched his own bald head and stood up reluctantly. Both Gu Zhen and his father were humiliated because their Martial Arts Club might lose before even having the chance to fight Lou Cheng or Lin Que.


      Yan Zheke wore a sweet smile and waved to the audience sitting on both sides of the stands. Without waiting for Fei Sanli to enter the arena, she took the initiative to leave, accompanied by cheers from the audience.


      Walking forward to welcome her, Lou Cheng bumped fists with Yan Zheke and sincerely complimented her.


      "You were awesome!"


      Before, he was only expecting Ke to win against Gu Yue. But who knew she would defeat two of her opponents!


      Yan Zheke laughed, her chin raised in a show of pride. "Do you feel like worshipping me?"


      Lou Cheng smiled at her. "Yes, I worship you very much!"


      He did not mind Shu Rui who was recording the game nearby. The journalist should already be aware of his love affair with Ke since a long time ago. After all, she almost saw both of them making out.


      Li Mao had left his seat and walked towards them.


      "Good luck!" Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke bumped fists with him.


      Since Li Mao and Fei Sanli were both new players, they did not need to recover their stamina. The referee beckoned the staff to clear the ground.


      Standing on the clean ground and watching the bold fighter not far away from him, Li Mao could not help recalling the match last year. Many emotions abruptly came to him.


      He was too nervous back then and was full of regrets and pain. At that time, he really did not imagine he would make such big progress.


      He was barely affected by tension in the match now! Even he had the potential to achieve the Professional Ninth Pin!


      He closed his eyes, recalling Coach Shi's comfort and guidance, Lou Cheng's suggestion and encouragement, and the Special Training Team members' understanding and support.


      Thank you, everyone! Thank you!


      After Lou Cheng helped an exhausted Yan Zheke find a seat in the host team stands, he looked up at the arena.


      "What is he thinking of now?" Seeing that Li Mao had closed his eyes, Lou Cheng gossiped for fun.


      Cai Zongming next to him took the initiative to answer, "Probably things like thanking the country, TV station, and Songcheng University."


      "Can you stop talking nonsense?" Lou Cheng glared at him.


      "So you know it's nonsense? We're not mind readers! How could we know what he's thinking of? Your question is inherently flawed!" Cai Zongming laughed.


      After hearing their meaningless but funny conversation, Yan Zheke went closer to Lou Cheng and whispered in his ear.


      "Do you think he can win?"


      "There's hope. Though Li Mao only began mastering the Internal Training Methods a month ago, he's now in the level of powerful Amateur First Pin. Fei Sanli is close to the Profession Ninth Pin level, but he participated in the Ranking Event and fought intensively for several days. His condition isn't tip-top. I'd say Li Mao has 40 percent chance of winning."


      "Sounds like you want our senior brother to lose." Yan Zheke widened her eyes, chuckling.


      Lou Cheng replied, "Hey. I can only fight if he loses."


      Yan Zheke pursed her mouth before looking at him with a big smile. "Do you think there's meaning to bully someone who hasn't even achieved the Professional Ninth Pin and has even experienced many intensive matches?"


      After considering it, Lou Cheng covered his face and sighed.


      "No, not at all... "




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     314 Bullying the Weak
      After the arena was cleared, the referee allowed Li Mao and Fei Sanli to come a little closer to each other. He then raised his right hand and announced the start of their match.


      Having successfully meditated for several months, Li Mao was no longer a complete rookie at 24 Blizzard Strikes and has grasped it inside out. So he took the initiative to step forward as if he wanted to attack, looking for an opportunity to showcase his moves.


      Just then, his body slightly shuddered and left a little nervousness in him. Yet this was not the nervousness that could affect his judgment and performance, but rather an ordinary psychology reaction of wanting victory and fearing defeat. The secretion of the hormone excited his nerves.


      Fei Sanli had already expected Li Mao's opening attack. He neither circled around nor avoided the 24 Blizzard Strikes. Lowering his head and bulging his muscle, he turned into a buffalo that charged forward angrily without reason.


      His bald head reflected the light within the stadium, creating a somewhat sinister feeling.


      Just as they were about to crash into each other, Fei Sanli turned sideways and held his left arm taut. Swinging his elbow in a quick motion, he punched his opponent in the chest, causing a mid-air crackle.


      Li Mao was calm as he visualized the avalanche rising to a momentum. He raised his arms, one hand lifting and the other pushing, to firmly block his opponent's elbow. He seized the opportunity and straightened his back, getting ready to land a kick.


      But Fei Sanli was a stubborn person who was unwilling to lose. He followed at once to meet the collision head-on. Twisting his waist, he rapidly waved his arm to land his right fist on his opponent's face. He aimed at Li Mao's glabella!


      Li Mao straightened his spine to get strength and balled his first arm, holding it firmly before his face.


      Bang! It was as if Fei Sanli's fist has hit steel bones and the dull sound echoed, stirring up the surrounding wind.


      And at this distance, Li Mao's eyes were affected by the wind. He subconsciously squinted, lest wind came in and stimulated them!


      This was precisely what Fei Sanli wanted him to do. Taking advantage of his opponent's affected sight, he used his left elbow as a fulcrum and threw the forearm forward. Opening his fingers, he fiercely and quickly caught Li Mao by the throat.



      This Throw Fist could be used from the very beginning, but he forced himself to be patient and waited for the moment Li Mao's vision was obstructed by the wind.


      Li Mao was unable to see momentarily and lost the ability to make judgment. He was inevitably panicking and dared not rely on his instinct to block. He took a large step backwards and instantly adjusted his muscles, trying to control the center of his gravity in the shortest time possible.


      Now that Fei Sanli had this opportunity, he would surely not let go of it. Though he ended up hitting the air, he rapidly closed onto his opponent. His shoulders strengthened, he yielded his palms like knives and cut Li Mao down from both sides.


      Li Mao was barely firm on his feet when he opened his eyes. It was too late for him to dodge and he could only fling his arms to block his opponent's palm knives.


      The moment he attacked, Fei Sanli twisted his palm knives to face down and adopted a pressing motion. He pulled the muscles in his back taut, triggering those in his thigh as well to extend his left foot and hit his opponent directly between his legs.


      Snap! His left leg stretched into a whip, tearing the airflow. It caused Li Mao's hair to stand and he abruptly turned his waist, his lower half slanted away from his opponent.


      Raising his right leg, he bent his knee to block the attack.


      Fei Sanli's series of attacks made him flustered and shook him to the very core. Fortunately, he did not lose his judgment and managed to deflate the situation.


      Bang! With the muffled noise, Li Mao borrowed his strength. His right foot dropping by a step, he was about to lean in for a punch, using Brutal Blizzard to start his counterattack.


      However, the moment Fei Sanli realized he had failed, he had sensibly moved out of the way a long time ago. He moved behind Li Mao, not giving him a chance to showcase his skills.


      Seeing such situation, Li Mao dispelled his feelings of impatience and recollected his emotions. He readjusted his position and met each of Fei Sanli's trick with his countermeasure. At the same time, he did not forget to look for the opportunity to create a favorable situation for himself.


      Pa! Pa! Pa! Bang! Bang! Bang! The two occasionally fought hand-to-hand, sometimes circling one another from a distance. Fei Sanli was shrewd and evasive, firmly maintaining his rhythm without allowing Li Mao to use 24 Blizzard Strikes more than two consecutive times.


      Their fierce match went on for several minutes, putting on an enjoyable show for the students. They experienced what it looked like for a fist to hit the flesh. From time to time, they would sound their little trumpets and wave their inflatable hammers, as if they were here for a vacation.


      Li Mao knew Fei Sanli had fought in many matches and had less than a week of recovery, which explained his calm fighting style. He fought in a straight and proper way, waiting for his opportunity to come.


      The match reaching a climax, Li Mao abruptly noticed the bald guy's knees going soft. Fei Sanli's sliding seemed to have gotten slower.


      An opportunity!


      Instantly refreshed, Li Mao took a large step forward, swinging his right arm and launched a crackling blast punch.


      Fei Sanli immediately lowered the center of his gravity and lifted his arm to hastily block the attack.


      Bang! Li Mao's right fist failed to keep off the opponent's stance and was bounced back. But he was already visualizing the scene of gale and blizzard. With a slight change in posture and toning of his muscles, he stretched out his left arm and thrust at his opponent's throat like a gun barrel.


      Fei Sanli's gaze was unwavering as he used his other fist to firmly counter this blow.


      There was no stopping Brutal Blizzard after it started. Li Mao withdrew his leg and sent a whizzing kick at Fei Sanli.


      Just then, his thigh turned limp and painful. He nearly fell down.


      Smiling, Fei Sanli stepped forward and stretched out his right hand, opening his fingers to grab Li Mao's neck.


      Humph. Who would not know 24 Blizzard Strikes was a test of stamina? The only reason he allowed Li Mao to try and hit him so many times was to let Li Mao expend his strength, step by step bringing him closer to the limit.


      In the end, he even faked a flaw to force him to use Brutal Blizzard. Yet at this time, how many attacks could he deliver in his current state?


      Hehe. If Li Mao was a little steadier, he would really have a flaw for him to manipulate. But the winner was still undetermined in this match!


      The referee raised his right hand and announced the result.


      "Fei Sanli wins!"


      Hearing these words, Fei Sanli retrieved his right hand and looked at Li Mao with a smile.


      "Young man, you're still too inexperienced."


      Though they were both juniors, he was by far more experienced.


      Li Mao exhaled, feeling both dejected and sad. But most of all, he was reflecting upon himself and did not experience any of those painful emotions.


      When it came to martial arts competition, there was no such thing as only winning and never losing.


      And Fei Sanli was indeed stronger than him.


      He turned around and walked down the stone steps, while the students on the stands was shouting and exclaiming.


      "Li Mao, you're the best!"


      "You did well!"


      They were very confident about the final result, so a momentary failure did not affect their moods.


      Hearing them, a smile appeared on Li Mao's face. He raised his hands to clap in gratitude, leaving behind no remorse or pressure.


      In the home team seats, Lou Cheng looked at Yan Zheke and smiled.


      "Looks like he's bullying the weak."


      Yan Zheke rolled her eyes, harrumphing.


      "If you don't win your opponent within three strikes, then you don't have to come back!"


      She reached out her hand and bumped fists with Lou Cheng.


      "Three strikes? Aren't you too lenient of Cheng?" Cai Zongming beside her interrupted their conversation. "I bet he'll do it within one strike!"


      "Bet what?" Lou Cheng did not immediately rush to the arena and bumped fists with each and every of his team members.


      Without hesitation, Cai Zongming said, "I bet on my integrity! But don't you dare perform worse on purpose!"


      "Forget it. What's the point of betting on something you don't have?" Lou Cheng adjusted his sleeves and walked towards the stone steps.


      The moment he appeared, the stadium rose into a momentum. Yan Xiaoling in the aisle, Zhao Qiang, Li Liantong, and the others in their seats raised their voices, all shouting a single name.


      "Lou Cheng!"


      The sound was overwhelmingly loud, as if they were welcoming their hero!


      Lou Cheng waved as he came to the stone steps along the road. Mu Jinnian at the stands stamped his feet, secretly complaining Coach Shi actually did not let Lin Que fight.


      Standing opposite Fei Sanli, Lou Cheng looked calm and his eyes were clear. He chuckled.


      "Rest assured I'll be going all out."


      This was a form of respect towards an opponent.


      Rest assured? He scorned, not at all feeling assured! He secretly begged Lou Cheng to not respect him! Fei Sanli took a breath, seeing the referee raising his right hand again and shouting.


      "Begin!"


      The referee was too lazy to say which match this was. It was the last one anyway.


      Fei Sanli estimated he had used up most of his strength and did not want to struggle against an inevitable death. Either way, it was not shameful to lose to Lou Cheng. Back then, he was already far behind Lou Cheng by eight streets. What more today?


      He charged forward, ready to wave his arm and vigorously punch his opponent.


      Lou Cheng gave a slight smile. He opened the fingers of his right hand and gripped Fei Sanli. Just as they were in contact, he returned qi and blood, condensing it in his lower abdomen.


      Fei Sanli felt like his fist caught in the nothingness, soft and without any power to grip. He then saw his opponent's arm muscles bulging and felt a wave of mad and vast strength, as he was meeting a real life, soaring dragon.


      Danqi gushing, Lou Cheng rapidly twisted his waist and flicked his arms, hurling Fei Sanli and sending him flying in the air.


      Without any resistance, Fei Sanli entered into a state of riding on a cloud. He immediately readjusted his center of gravity, trying to stabilize the body, but he was shocked to find that he did not lose balance. He had simply flown.


      Snap!


      When his feet were back on the ground, he was standing firm. He saw the edge of the arena, from outside looking in!


      In an instant, he was thrown out of the arena even when he was standing in the middle of it. H flew god knows how many meters, with his center of gravity steady. He did not even stagger!


      This kind of method of lifting someone as if he was weightless was simply too frightening!


      Looking up with surprise, Fei Sanli found Lou Cheng had come out of his stance and was standing around leisurely.


      The referee loudly declared the result.


      "Lou Cheng wins!"


      "Songcheng University Martial Arts Club wins!"


      The students were all stunned by the scene earlier, feeling as if they had seen something unrealistic. They only recovered when they heard the referee's voice and sounded their little trumpets, creating a boisterous atmosphere.


      When Lou Cheng turned to walk down the stairs, they shouted.


      "Lou Cheng! Lou Cheng!"


      "Lin Que! Lin Que!"


      "Songcheng University! Songcheng University!"


      Enjoying this atmosphere, Lou Cheng returned to his seat and smiled at Yan Zheke.


      "One strike!"


      Yan Zheke snorted, turning her head to smile. She returned her gaze to the arena as well as the sides. Her thoughts naturally turned to the next sub-division and the finals in April next year.


      Just then, Shu Rui and her team approached, recording snippets of their celebration.


      "Lin Que, I rarely see you playing with your phone." She glanced at the impassive young man pressing on the screen of his phone.


      Lin Que looked at her, but did not answer. He continued typing, entering characters in the search box.


      "What's the joke about hunters and bears... "




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     315 I Understand This
      After running a lap of honor, members of the Martial Arts Club returned to the locker room with great joy from the first victory.


      Shu Rui followed in with her crew, carrying a big smile. "You do whatever you usually do. Just pretend we are not here."


      Geezer Shi approved her request for filming in the locker room during these matches to add some details to the documentary.


      Upon hearing her words, club members looked at each other with fear. "We are no exhibitionists. How can we not do what we usually do in front of a camera?" Lou Cheng felt worse than the others since he lost the opportunity to massage his little fairy with ointment.


      He didn't intend to show off their love with such intimate moves in front of these not-so-familiar junior members in the locker room. It was just something sweet and warm, part of their routine. However, they had to do it themselves separated in these uninvited guests' presence.


      Yan Zheke looked at him subconsciously and noticed something odd, her eyes rolled, lips pursed and head turned. She lowered her voice, "I'm in such a good mood. Let's go for a walk tonight."


      "Err... Did Ke misunderstand something? Hmm... Great!" Lou Cheng burst into a smile and accepted the offer at once.


      "Yes!"


      …


      The bright moon was accompanied by few illuminating stars. By the lake, there was a refreshing breeze.


      Wearing her boyfriend's jacket, Yan Zheke held his arm while strolling slowly on a path with gentle water sounds, her head raised up, filled with excitement and expectation.


      "Cheng, how far do you think we can make it in this martial arts tournament?"


      Her hair was a little bit messy, face rosy pink, lips moist, and eyes shiny and bright.


      With one hand in his pocket, Lou Cheng smiled after a moment of pondering, joyfully and free from worry,


      "I'll only say this to you and no one else because I don't want to be laughed at. My goal is the champion. The national champion!"


      "So is mine!" Yan Zheke raised her voice and smiled, with amazement and joy in her eyes.


      "I know Shanbei is strong. So is the Capital College, Huahai and Guangnan. Everyone thinks they are better than us but I want to win and I'm confident that I do have a chance!" In front of his girlfriend, Lou Cheng revealed his ambition with no cover.



      "Yeah. By next April, who knows how great my cousin and you will become?" Yan Zheke's dimples appeared along with her high expectation. "We shouldn't take the enemy lightly. I heard Qu Hui from Sanjiang has grown a lot. Shannan is no easy target, either."


      Walking along the lakeshore, the pair carried on to plan their future in high spirits with endless topics. When they were close to the long bridge, they suddenly noticed a familiar figure standing by the wooden rallies.


      "Qing?" shouted Yan Zheke with some hesitation.


      Guo Qing turned her head immediately and hurried to dry her eyes while forcing a wry smile.


      "Ke and Cheng, what a small world!"


      "I wasn't sure it was you." Yan Zheke smiled but soon realized something was not right with her. She asked, deeply concerned, "Qing, what's wrong?"


      She was crying...


      As she was thinking if she should send Cheng away to avoid embarrassment for Qing, Guo Qing lowered her eyes and gripped her hand. "I... I don't want... I want to quit the special training!"


      "You don't want to take the special training anymore? Why?" Yan Zheke blurted out and Lou Cheng was shocked.


      Why would Guo Qing think about quitting all of a sudden?


      Guo Qing took a deep breath and put on a forced smile. "We are already in the second year... I'm feeling more pressure from classes... I'm afraid my results will go worse... Maybe... Maybe I should put more effort on my study."


      Yan Zheke came to some realization but she didn't bring it up to her right away. She remained silent, carefully organizing her words.


      Guo Qing paced about fretfully as if her tensed string had finally reached the limit. She suddenly collapsed.


      "Ke, I... I find myself very useless! I feel so much pressure. I've been practicing on visualizing for over a year but I still can't enter the meditation state. More and more of you have surpassed me... You guys are running faster and faster, and the distance between you and me are getting bigger and bigger. I'm very sad... I already cried many times! Even those junior members are better than me now! I can't even get a seat on the bench. Soon I'll be out of the list! The boy I like doesn't like me. My grades keep on dropping. The counselor has scolded me. I... I'm pretty much a failure! I'm useless!"


      Listening to her hysterical abreaction, Lou Cheng felt he had never really known her. He didn't know this hearty, outgoing sister had secretly accumulated so much negative emotion and carried so much weight on her shoulders.


      He turned around to look at Yan Zheke, seeing the same shock, sympathy, and pity on her face.


      Qing has always been the funny one, concealing her pain and sorrow from everyone and covering her weak, helpless side.


      She appeared quite gloomy this afternoon in the locker room.


      "Relax, Qing. Relax. You are giving yourself too much pressure. Hmm... If you really want to quit, quit temporarily. Loosen yourself and throw away all the pressure. You will succeed! We always welcome you back! You are always one of us!" Yan Zheke bit her lower lip and put on her most gentle voice to comfort her and offer her suggestions.


      Guo Qing rubbed her face and forced a smile, her eyes shiny with tears. "Ke, no need to comfort me. I feel much better after venting it out. I get it now. People are different. Probably I'm just not gifted for this. I'm already at the Amateur Third Pin level. That's something for my job hunting. I'll continue to attend the martial arts lessons twice a week but I'll devote the rest of my time to my study. You guys go on! This time we'll have a great result!"


      She sobbed a bit before continuing, "I'm out of the special training team but I'll cheer for you on the stand. I'll be proud of your great performance!"


      Guo Qing was getting lost in her own words. She eventually came to a stop and pointed at the long bridge.


      "We should go back now...


      "I wouldn't hurt this badly if I didn't have my expectation high.


      "I would have chosen to stay if I came for a certificate like Sister Wen.


      "Ke, Cheng, and everyone... Sorry, I'm a quitter... "


      Neither Lou Cheng nor Yan Zheke had any experience dealing with such a problem. They had no idea what to do but to watch Guo Qing leave in a rush but determined manner.


      With feelings welling up in his heart, Lou Cheng turned to look at Yan Zheke who looked very down and low spirited, her lips pursed tightly.


      He tried to comfort her with a hug. "Ke, don't be upset. Like you said, we have two kinds of friends. One will stay with us for the rest of our lives and the other will cross their path with us for a period of time but then go on their different journey."


      Guo Qing's roommates are still in touch with Qiang, Old Qiu and the Model Worker but I've long forgotten their faces. Although they are from the first and is very likely to be the only social meetup dorm room that I have ever had.


      Yan Zheke buried her head in his shoulder and tapped him gently.


      "Don't talk... I understand this but I can't help feeling sad... "


      Lou Cheng stroked her back gently while watching Guo Qing gradually disappear in the dark. A line of lyrics flashed in his head that might not be perfect for this situation very pretty close to it.


      "Hundreds of thousands of gates... One of us must leave first."


      Sigh... For this precious get-together, we must write down the most beautiful and unforgettable memories! We must get the National University Martial Arts Competition's champion!


      …


      Guo Qing's leaving also shocked Li Mao and Sun Jian. The low pressure hovered above the martial arts club for a week until the end of the second round of the knockout. The joy of the victory and the fun from teasing Cai Zongming helped leave this matter behind. Guo Qing was no longer a topic in the club.


      This is cruel but this is the reality.


      They pulled themselves together and advanced steadily, entering the group stage with ease. Their first rival in the group would be Shannan University Martial Arts Club, the seed of the group.


      On a Saturday morning, the express train sailed away from the station. Lou Cheng and other members of the club were either watching out of the window or chatting about the opponents.


      The first powerful rival of this tournament, here we come!




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     316 Shannan
      "Mu Yu is a top Professional Ninth Pin fighter, specialized in ancient Xingyi, including the dragon, tiger, leopard, bear and eagle styles, and modern styles like the blast punch and the Shooting Fillip. However, his blast punch hasn't awakened the Tremor force yet. He's known as the Bane for his supernatural ability to cause misfortune to a specific person within 20 meters. The boomerang of this power is that a random friend or family relative within the range might suffer the bad luck. He's also nicknamed the Old Fellow Mu for his over-matured looks.


      "Lin Xiaozhi, female, is also a top Professional Ninth Pin fighter, highly gifted with a good chance of entering the Dan stage before her graduation. Trained by Mu Yu himself, she's skilled in similar styles with her master. Although she loves to say that she once believed in science, she carries amulets from different sects and religions with her all the time. She's still the one most frequently hit by her master's supernatural ability."


      "Jin Dali is a capable Professional Ninth Pin fighter who just got his certificate last October. He's of the same style with Mu Yu and Lin Xiaozhi but known for his aggressiveness and seeking death. Brought up in an engineering family, he likes car racing and often rides his powerful motor to school. Very easy going and a bit too active... "


      As the express train ran fast, leading members of the Shannan University Martial Arts Club flashed in Lou Cheng's head. He discussed with Yan Zheke often to avoid shipwrecking in a ditch kind of accident. If they advanced in the second place of the group, they would have to confront Shanbei at the Quarter-final.


      His mobile suddenly vibrated with the notification for a new message.


      Lou Cheng picked it up and saw Mo Jingting's name.


      "O(∩_∩)O~ Junior master, I'm having a vocal concert in Songcheng next week. As an elder of mine, don't you want to treat me well in your territory? I've saved you a few VIP tickets. Share with your friends if you want."


      "Attempting to be cute with no good intention... " Commented Lou Cheng before passing the phone to Yan Zheke who was leaning to his shoulder. "I wanted to take you to her vocal concert before. But maybe no point."


      Going to a vocal concert is one of our date options.


      Yan Zheke wasn't in her best form, her lips pale due to blood loss. She took it over and read with a faint smile.


      "Why not? Let's go together."



      "Ahh?" Lou Cheng was surprised by Ke's response and didn't know what to say.


      What show are we playing now?


      "This kind of thing... Just be natural and poised. She is a younger disciple of your sect. You will meet her here and there no matter what. We take her out together and go to her concert. She will get the point." Yan Zheke tilted her head and glanced at Lou Cheng. "She will know that her current attitude annoys you. Right?"


      "Yes! Coach Yan has a point!" Lou Cheng answered without any doubt and added, "I'm just concerned she will dig out your background and spread it to the Shushan Study and your grandparents."


      Yan Zheke rolled her eyes. "She might if she found it out herself. But if we meet her generously, she'll keep it between us. She wants to please you and gain advantage from all sides. She won't do things to annoy you unless she actually falls in love with you."


      Teased by her, Lou Cheng hurried to clear things up. "No way! Girls in the entertaining industry never fall for anyone."


      He took his mobile back and replied,


      "My girlfriend and I would love to take you to try some Songcheng specialities if we can get out of school."


      A few minutes later, Mo Jingting's message came in. "Great! Looking forward to it! Please... How should I address her? Say thanks to her for me."


      Yan Zheke leaned to Lou Cheng's shoulder and read the text with a smile, her chin raised. "See? The tone is a bit different now."


      "No emoticons... " Lou Cheng nodded and then asked out of concern, "Is your stomach feeling better?"


      In the middle of her menstruation, Yan Zheke couldn't fight today and felt a bit down. Lou Cheng was quite pleased about it because odd things might happen during the fight with Mu Yu. Once a male fighter's crotch broke open itself and revealed his everything in front the audience...


      "Damn it! I hope nothing strange happens or it will be an embarrassing moment in my history forever..." Thought Lou Cheng with fear.


      "Much better. I already felt okay before the train took off. Your ginger tea helped." Yan Zheke played with her boyfriend's fingers while watching the desolate early winter scenery in the distance.


      The train pulled in right before noon. Members of the Martial Arts Club gathered at the exit.


      Different from the preliminaries, no car was sent to pick them up. They had to split into groups and take taxis over.


      "Anybody doesn't know the direction?" Asked Cai Zongming thoughtfully as the club manager.


      "I!" "I!" "I! I!" He Zi raised her hand. So did Li Xiaowen, Yan Xiaoling and Mu Jinnian who came as fans.


      Cai Zongming's mouth twitched. "Everyone in your dorm room has no sense of direction?"


      "Things of a kind come together!" Answered Yan Xiaoling seriously, quite proudly.


      "Then you better go separately with others. Don't get lost," said Cai Zongming with a smile.


      Yan Zheke turned slightly sideways and whispered to Lou Cheng's ear, "I'm pretty bad at directions actually."


      "I didn't know that." Lou Cheng was surprised.


      "I can't tell which direction north is... But my phone can navigate... " Yan Zheke pursed her lips. "Also I have a human navigator."


      "I used to think people good at science have a pretty decent sense of direction," commented Lou Cheng with a smile.


      "I thought so, too... " Yan Zheke looked helpless. "However, there are always exceptions."


      Once Shu Rui and her filming crew arrived, the group had a simple lunch in the station before taking taxis separately to the old campus of Shannan University.


      Very thoughtful and caring, Ming didn't assign anyone into Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke's group to protect others' ears and eyes.


      There was not much traffic in the early afternoon and the taxi sailed smoothly. The driver took a look at them from the mirror and smiled, "Kid, you are a student of Shannan University?"


      "Me?" Lou Cheng pointed at himself with one hand while holding Yan Zheke's fingers with the other.


      "Yeah. You look like a student. Just picked up your girlfriend from the station?" Asked the driver casually.


      "Why did you guess so? Why can't she be a student of the university who just picked me up from the station?" Lou Cheng asked in reply, amused.


      The driver burst into a laugh. "In this world, only men come to pick up women. It's never the other way round."


      "Not necessary." Lou Cheng turned to Yan Zheke with a sneer. "Would you come to pick me up?"


      Yan Zheke glared at him and snorted. "That depends."


      The driver continued as if he had confirmed Lou Cheng was a student in the university. "My daughter also studies in Shannan University. She's in the macromolecule department."


      "Hmm? Not many girls take this major," replied Lou Cheng at ease.


      "What can I do? Nobody in my family really knows this. We picked it randomly," answered the driver carelessly. "She should have gone home last night but she's staying in school to cheer for some martial arts match. Why would girls watch this kind of brutal stuff?"


      "It's not bad. Get stronger and protect themselves," said Lou Cheng apathetically.


      "The Shannan University Martial Arts Club is pretty good. We often hear the Old Fellow Mu can take down ten rivals single-handed." The driver didn't seem to care about Lou Cheng's opinion.


      "Mu Yu with some supernatural ability is known by the name Bane," added Lou Cheng enthusiastically. Yan Zheke was listening with full interest.


      "Yeah. Yeah!" The driver felt more certain about Lou Cheng's identity. "You are also a fan of Martial Arts Competition?"


      Chatting casually with the driver all the way, Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke gained some direct impression of Shannan University's martial arts atmosphere. The driver was about to introduce his daughter to them.


      At the north gate, all martial arts club members gathered and headed towards the venue through a road with hundreds years old trees growing on both sides. There was still one hour until the match. The stadium was quite empty with less than a dozen students doing exercise.


      Fortunately the receptionist of the Shannan University Martial Arts Club had waited at the door after communicating with Li Xiaowen and guided them into the visiting team's locker room.


      At the entrance to the Strength Training Gymnasium, a tall figure with her hands in her pockets watched them walking in and sighed,


      "The Songcheng University is here early."


      Wearing a high ponytail, the clean and refreshing looking girl was garishly dressed with Buddhist prayer beads, Taoist amulets, Christian crosses, and Arabic scripts. She was none other than Lin Xiaozhi, a leading member of the Shannan University Martial Arts Club.


      Before the fight with capable rivals, she felt a bit uneasy and decided to come to the Martial Arts Club earlier to warm up.


      Lin Xiaozhi stepped to the home team's locker room while swing her key around. She put the key in but only to realize the door had already been unlocked.


      As soon as she walked in, she saw the team leader Mu Yu the Old Fellow Mu who looked as if a man in his late 40s with little hair.


      "Chief, you are early!" Lin Xiaozhi blurted out with surprise.


      Mu Yu's arms were hanging down and his body leaning forward. He heaved a sigh. "A bit nervous. Just like last time when we were confronting Shanbei.


      "Two fighters in the Dan stage, where one of Professional Seventh Pin and the other capable Professional Eighth Pin. Pretty much identical to last year's Shanbei."


      The locker room's door was pushed open and Jin Dali came in wearing a hippie hair style. He was apparently surprised. "Holy cow! Even earlier than me! What the heck are you guys doing here?"


      "Quite concerned about this match. If we lost, we would very likely meet Shanbei at the quarter-finals." Lin Xiaozhi had no intention to hide her feeling.


      She soon adjusted herself and burst into a smile. "However, we do have a decent chance. First of all, they might underestimate us and send only Lin Que or Lou Cheng to the ring."


      "Impossible. This is a vital match." Mu Yu negated it.


      "Second, they are still training their bench players. The first one we fight won't be Lin Que or Lou Cheng because they must be very concerned about your supernatural ability. Lou Cheng with unbelievable physical strength will be the last one. As long as Jin and I can deal with their first fighter quickly, we can play dissipation warfare against Lin Que. We might not be as powerful as Lou Cheng and him that could team up to defeat a Dan stage fighter but we can greatly consume his strength which is his weakness." Lin Xiaozhi continued with confidence, "He will be close to his limit and Chief, your supernatural ability will work very effectively on him so you can save most of your strength to fight Lou Cheng.


      "I used to believe in science, but now I'm more into metaphysics." She finished her opinion with a wisecrack.


      "Songcheng University's bench fighters have grown fast. They are no easy targets to be handled quickly." Mu Yu heaved another sigh.


      Lin Xiaozhi said while outlining her lips, "That's great. I haven't had a chance to perform my new skill yet. Everyone thinks Songcheng University will win this match. They will be bloated with pride... "


      She glanced at Mu Yu and Jin Dali and straightened her face.


      "Here is another line."


      "An oppressed army fighting with desperate courage is sure to win!"




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     317 The New Opponen
      The match was about to begin. In the visiting team's locker room, Geezer Shi clapped his hands to get the attention of the fighters.


      "It's about time. Let's get started. When we fight against Shanbei, we have to get the misers in our school to book a hotel and pay for it, and we also need to arrive there one day earlier. We should never be exhausted like this again."


      Actually, their Martial Arts Club had a budget, but Geezer Shi would make sure to get some assistance if he had a rightful cause. All he really had to do was excite the Principal and join him for a drink.


      For the group competition, Songcheng University Martial Arts Club, who had not displayed a favorable performance last year, would have to fight on its opponents' home ground. Even in the quarterfinals. Li Liantong, Zong Yanru, and the others deeply regretted that none of their matches would be fought at Songcheng University. They wouldn't have the chance to join the crowd and cheer for their team.


      Therefore, Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke were energized when they chatted with each other and promised to do better this year. That way they would have more matches in their home ground next year.


      "Coach Shi, I am afraid that the school would only pay for a hostel," said Cai Zongming, warming up and teasing.


      "They wouldn't dare!" Geezer Shi said, "Are we beggars or what? They can either turn us down or pay the bill."


      As they talked, Li Xiaowen stepped in, smiling, and said, "Coach Shi, the supervisor is asking for the list."


      "Alright." Geezer Shi took a look at Lou Cheng and his teammates, saying, "We cannot let ourselves' accidentally trip over such a small stone, right? Both Lou Cheng and Lin Que are fighting today."


      At this point, Lou Cheng couldn't help glancing at Lin Que. He noticed Lin Que looking at him, and they could both sense each other's will to fight.


      Since the beginning of the semester, for the first time, the two leading figures of the Songcheng Martial Arts Club would fight as a team!


      Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke exchanged a smile, while making eye contact, as they reached a mutual understanding. They had both expected the arrangement, while Li Mao, Lin Hua, and others who were relaxing a little bit became more determined.


      They worried that Coach Shi would be headstrong and deploy a substitute at this critical point, saving part of the main force.



      "However," said Geezer Shi, "Shannan is not a formidable opponent, and we still need to accumulate combat experience. Here is the order. Lou Cheng, you will be the last to fight. Otherwise, your teammates would only get to watch, right?"


      The locker room exploded in roars of laughter. Everyone was aware of Lou Cheng's incredible physical power, and they were excited.


      "As you wish, master!" Lou Cheng answered joyfully.


      After he became a formal apprentice, Lou Cheng was entitled to call Geezer Shi master in public.


      "Another one. Let us stick to the principle of taking turns. Sun Jian, you are first." Without hesitation, Shi Jianguo pointed at the most experienced fighter in Martial Arts Club.


      With the support of Lin Que and Lou Cheng, Sun Jian had no pressure as their vanguard, so he laughed and said,


      "I can finally enter the arena today!"


      Lou Cheng turned his head to hide his laughter. It was in preliminaries when Sun Jian, the senior brother, had been made fun of, and he still remembered!


      Yan Zheke also smiled and winked at Lou Cheng, hinting that it was all his fault!


      She was excited. Although she was in good condition, it seemed she might not be fighting today.


      Li Xiaowen, standing beside them, wrote down the list swiftly, "Sun Jian, Lin Que, Lou Cheng".


      When the crowd calmed down, Geezer Shi waved his hand and said, "As for substitutes, let us follow the old rules: Li Mao, Cai Zongming, Lin Hua."


      After his announcement, Geezer Shi looked at He Zi and Wang Dali, then said, "Neither of you may enter the field this semester. Feel free to look around, gain some experience, and concentrate on your Ranking Event."


      "Yes, Coach Shi!" Both of them, feeling fresh and honored, answered with determination.


      Of course, He Zi was interested in becoming a reporter in the field.


      The first team and substitutes were confirmed. Li Xiaowen turned around and headed to submit the list.


      When the door of the locker room opened, Lou Cheng found the arena was crammed with cheering students, and very few empty seats.


      "The fans of martial arts in Shannan are passionate... " said Lou Cheng. He was impressed. The scene reminded him of the daughter of the taxi driver.


      She must be one of the students among the crowd, not attracting any attention. However, since many little drops make an ocean, every single viewer contributed to the lively atmosphere that made a fighter like him deeply touched and inspired.


      "Let's get started," said Geezer Shi, as he waved his hand and coughed.


      The gate was opened. The martial arts arena of Shannan University greeted the eyes of Lou Cheng, Yan Zheke, and the others.


      The audience held huge banners bearing the slogan,


      "Stand together through storms and stress!"


      Win or lose, we will stand together through storms and stress!


      As the fighters of Martial Arts Club of Songcheng University came in, one side of the grandstand burst out cheering,


      "Shannan University!"


      The audience on another side of grandstand shouted loudly in response,


      "We will never give in!"


      The audience made a sound so loud that any fighter with weak mentality would be shivering and would not be able to bring their full potential into play.


      However, most of the members of Songcheng Martial Arts Club were experienced fighters. After experiencing the home ground match in Yimo, a hell on earth, they were not terrified by the audience here.


      As waves of cheering quieted down, the referee mounted the arena, while the first match was announced on the loudspeaker,


      "From Songcheng Martial Arts Club — Sun Jian!"


      "From Shannan Martial Arts Club... "


      The broadcaster paused deliberately, giving some time for the audience to respond, and then he raised his voice.


      "Lin Xiaozhi!"


      "Lin Xiaozhi!" The audience answered with extreme passion. The Shannan team actually seemed to have the upper hand, instead of looking hopeless like they appeared in public opinion.


      "Lin Xiaozhi... " Lou Cheng seemed lost in thought.


      He shared the same view as Yan Zheke, that, regardless of supernatural ability, Lin Xiaozhi was better than Mu Yu in martial arts, and Lin Xiaozhi stood a good chance of making it to Dan stage!


      "I have a feeling that Sun, our senior brother, might slip a little... " Yan Zheke whispered in Lou's ear, suppressing laughter.


      "Do not say that... It would be helpful for Sun, before he becomes a professional, to experience the full power of a leading fighter." Lou Cheng answered earnestly and then said with a teasing tone, "Anyway, his opponent is not Mu Yu, right?"


      Sun Jian did not hear their discussion. He gave fist bumps with his teammates and then strode to the stage, standing on the right side of the referee. He noticed that Lin Xiaozhi was taking off her beads and cross, handing them to the supervisor.


      "So the story goes..." Sun sighed with emotion, and widened his eyes because Lin Xiaozhi has not done yet!


      She took out a small Tantra bell from her pocket, rolled up her trouser legs, untied a red string with strange characters on it, and drew out a lucky star from her coiled hair...


      "Holy, what else does she have hidden...? She is quite a superstitious fighter." Sun Jian was at a loss whether to cry or laugh.


      After a while, Lin Xiaozhi was all set. Before stepping on the stage, she urged the supervisor again, "Sir, please look after my stuff. I had a feeling our team leader will outperform himself tonight! I do not want to be out of luck... "


      She mumbled in silence, and moved in front of Sun Jian, showing an apologetic smile.


      The referee announced the start of the greeting ceremony.


      "May I ask if they work?" Sun Jian yielded to curiosity.


      He was not trying to stimulate his opponent because he wanted to behave with dignity in front of a lady.


      Lin Xiaozhi nodded sincerely.


      "They do indeed!"


      "I have tested them myself. When our team leader used his ability, the rebound would affect me 7 or 8 cases out of 10 if I did not wear them. Now it is 4 at most."


      "I used to believe in science but now I'm more into metaphysics."


      "It seems like an unbearable situation to me." Sun Jian felt pity for her and replied.


      Lin Xiaozhi opened her mouth as if she was about to speak about her suffering. However, she just heaved a sigh.


      "Alas... "


      Sun Jian made no more comments so as not to arouse bad luck. On the other side, Lin Xiaozhi spent every minute getting accustomed to fighting without all the amulets.


      Once the audience settled down, the referee raised his right hand and the match began,


      "Begin now!"


      Lin Xiaozhi's back curved into a bow shape. Using the elasticity of her muscles and bones, she suddenly bounced forward like an elegant yet dangerous cheetah. Sun Jian barely had time to react.


      Instead of drawing back, Sun Jian moved forward. Most of the audience was stupefied. Sun Jian dashed towards his powerful opponent as if he was going to fight her face to face.


      They were about to ram into each other. At this point, Sun Jian stamped his right foot hard on the ground, forcing himself in another direction and moving quickly to Lin Xiaozhi's side.


      That was the Catapulting Movement of modern Xingyi!


      Crack! Sun Jian drew up straight, moving his shoulders and waving arms. It was his best Forward Punch in recent matches. He tried to take the upper hand and leave no opening for Lin Xiaozhi to exploit.


      Lin Xiaozhi failed to catch him, but she secured her position and maintained her balance by adjusting her spine immediately.


      And then she swung her left arm backwards violently.


      Bang!


      Sun Jian stepped back, using some of his force to decrease Lin Xiaozhi's momentum. Then Sun Jian leapt forward a little, attacking with a Half-step Burst Fist!


      The Brutal Blizzard was roaring harder!


      Lin Xiaozhi kept a straight face and took a deep breath. And then her face flushed a little bit and her temples began to swell up. She swayed her body, striking with a Modern Blast Punch.


      Pop!


      Her fist was trembling in the air as if it was influenced by the wind.


      Bang! The fists met causing a great thunder to resound. Sun Jian was dazed and knocked out by the blast!


      His Qi and blood were rolling, and his internal organs were suffering. His muscles and bones were shaking so hard that he could not put forth any strength.


      Lin Xiaozhi took this chance to attack. Her Eagle Claw stretched out, stopping in front of Sun Jian's throat.


      "The first round, Lin Xiaozhi wins!" The referee declared.


      "Tremor Punch?" Yan Zheke stood up, murmuring to herself, and unwittingly caught a glimpse of her boyfriend.


      "Yep." Lou Cheng nodded.


      It was Lin Xiaozhi's Modern Blast Punch that brought about the Tremor force!


      And that was something new she had never shown!


      Li Mao and others were astounded. The poker-faced Lin Que got up and flung his clothes on the ground!




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     318 Absolute Strength
      "Lin Xiaozhi! Lin Xiaozhi!"


      The silence of the audience was broken by the scattered sound of trumpets, followed by a burst of thunderous cheers and shouts.


      They knew Lin Xiaozhi could defeat Sun Jian, but no one thought it would so fast, like defeating a rookie. It seemed she had reached a new and more amazing level of strength.


      What an exhilarating fight!


      At the home team seating area, Jin Dali and several bench members stood up, swinging their towels with excitement.


      "Holy cow! Why is it me? Why do such nice things always happen to me?" thought Sun Jian in the ring with a wry smile, trying to cease the dizziness and gather his qi and blood by shaking his head.


      "Luckily I've got a good attitude!" He turned around without delay and met the battle-ready Lin Que halfway down the flight of stairs.


      "She's learned Tremor force!" whispered Sun Jian while reaching out his fist.


      Lin Que nodded coldly and gave Sun Jian a fist bump as they passed each other.


      Watching him come up in an awe-inspiring manner, Lin Xiaozhi exhaled and visualized pale clouds and a little breeze to calm herself down.


      To confront Liu Que, her only strategy is to exhaust him. The more Dan stage explosions she could make him perform, the greater her victory.


      She never hoped to defeat a Dan stage Professional Eighth Pin fighter. Especially one as aggressive and fierce as Lin Que and Lou Cheng. Even before they advanced, they were able to work together and barely knocked out Wei Shengtian, who didn't have any special power.


      With waves of screams and shouts echoing in his ears, Lin Que remained calm and introverted. When he reached his position next to the referee, Lin Xiaozhi suddenly felt overwhelmed as if he was a towering mountain or a surging river.


      "Is this the pressure from Dan stage fighters?" She took a deep breath, trying to pull herself together.


      "Cheng, how many bouts do you think Lin Que needs to score a victory?" asked Cai Zongming leisurely.


      Lou Cheng glared at him and said gruffly, "You don't have the moral integrity to gamble anyway."



      The number of bouts his brother-in-law needs to defeat the opponent completely depends on his strategy and how much strength he wants to save for the next round or even the third round.


      "I have a feeling he'll try to finish her quickly. Within three to five bouts." Cai Zongming didn't seem to care about Lou Cheng's tone at all and continued with a sneer, "Don't you think those Shannan University students' martial arts style can be described with one line? The eye of an eagle, the speed of a leopard, and the strength of a bear!"


      He noticed the confusion on Lou Cheng's face and realized he didn't understand.


      "Haven't you watched that cartoon?" sneered Cai Zongming.


      Lou Cheng tilted his head as he turned to Yan Zheke. She looked just as puzzled, shaking her head to signal that she didn't understand either.


      "It must be a really old cartoon... " She rolled her eyes and made a conclusion.


      "Got it!" Lou Cheng nodded seriously and turned to Cai Zongming. "Uncle, please excuse us. We are too young for such an old cartoon."


      "Damn you!" said Little Ming, almost choking on his words.


      Their relaxing attitude eased Li Mao and Wang Dali from Lin Xiaozhi's new achievement in Tremor Force.


      Right. What is so impressive about Tremor Force?


      The two leading fighters in our club can both do it too!


      The referee waved down his right hand and announced over the noises from the stands,


      "Round Two. Fight!"


      His voice was still sounding in the stadium when Lin Que suddenly inhaled and exhaled to perform a Dan stage explosion.


      Bam!


      The ground under his feet exploded, shooting countless shards out. His body seemed to be expanding as he threw himself at Lin Xiaozhi.


      The distance between them disappeared in an instant. Lin Xiaozhi was still thinking when her opponent appeared in front of her face like a meteor falling from the sky or Mountain Taishan smashing down on her head.


      So fast! So powerful! So direct! In a split second, she stayed calm and decided to draw her body backward. While swaying her hips, she took a few steps back.


      She moved like an elegant antelope, which was steady and stable while blending with the heaviness of the elephant style.


      Upon realizing that Lin Xiaozhi intended to evade his attack and keep her distance, Lin Que suddenly came to a stop and gathered his qi and strength before stamping down and charging towards Lin Xiaozhi.


      Boom!


      The ground under Lin Xiaozhi's feet split open as if a stream of energy was shooting out, raising her left leg and causing her to lose balance.


      The 16th move of the Fighting Sect, Earth Cracking!


      "This!" Lin Xiaozhi was stunned and showed some panic while moving her spine up and down to stabilize her body. Lin Que seized this opportunity, taking one stride forward, he appeared in front of her face again. Next, Lin Que visualized a scene of meteors piercing the sky while swelling his temples and swinging his right arm to launch a thunderous punch.


      Lin Xiaozhi responded in a rush with a blast punch, even though her body was still wobbling.


      Bam! Lin Xiaozhi felt like her body was hit by a meteor when the shock waves from his punch arrived. Her blood and qi boiled, which gave her an intense feeling of vomiting, and her internal organs nearly jumped out of place.


      A low but continuous rumble of explosions sounded from her stomach. Lin Que swung back his right hand and leaned the left half of his body while visualizing and preparing another punch.


      Lin Xiaozhi had just relieved the vibration with her Internal Training Methods and had to deal with another strike immediately. She blocked her lower stomach with both hands, attempting to confront Lin Que's Meteor Force with her Eagle Claws.


      Bam!


      Her head was buzzing, her muscles and fascia shivering, and her entire body was freezing, so her five fingers failed to block Lin Que's fist which stopped right by her stomach.


      The referee stood still and shouted,


      "Round two, Lin Que wins!"


      In a flash, the fight was set. Students of the Shannan University opened their eyes wide, covered their mouth, or had a frozen expression on their face. The stadium fell into a dead silence.


      Like the last round, they knew Lin Xiaozhi would very likely lose to Lin Que, but didn't expect such a crisp and helpless defeat. Lin Xiaozhi, the top Professional Ninth Pin fighter, lost her shine from her previous victory over Sun Jian.


      Lin Xiaozhi barely managed to recover with the Inner Training Method and hold back the urge to vomit. She took a look at Lin Que with fear before walking down the stairs, slowly recalling what had just happened.


      Was I defeated?


      "I lost, just like that?"


      She considered herself at the same level with Lou Cheng back when he had defeated Wei Shengtian. She thought she could handle Lin Que's two explosions in a row. She expected to make him perform Force Concentration three times. She planned to hang on there for more bouts to put down a solid foundation for Jin Dali. However, she lost in less than one minute!


      Is this the talented Dan stage fighter with a long family tradition?


      Is this the power of absolute strength?


      At the foot of the stone stairs, she met the hippie looking Jin Dali and forced herself to cheer up.


      "Jin, he just performed Double Explosion. It must be pretty tiring. Do your best and exhaust him as much as possible."


      "Yes!" Jin Dali put away his usual cynicism and hurried up into the ring to save time.


      Lin Xiaozhi closed her eyes for a second and retched, walking back to the home team's seating area with her shaking legs.


      If Jin could completely exhaust Lin Que, the chief, in his best form, has a 50/50 chance of defeating Lou Cheng.


      "Chief?" All of a sudden fear appeared in her eyes. Despite her awful health condition, she ran back to the ring and reached her hand out to the supervisor with a smile.


      "Master, my things!"


      "Don't believe in these. They're useless," said the senior supervisor amiably.


      Lin Xiaozhi winked and put on a grievous smile, then said, "Master, you don't understand."


      At the visiting team's seating area, Cai Zongming looked about, self-satisfied.


      "As I said, Lin Que got it done quickly. Within three bouts!"


      Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke whispered to each other sweetly, ignoring his words, delighted and relaxed.


      Lin Que became so strong. We can set our mind at rest now.


      At this moment, the audience finally recovered from the defeat and pulled themselves together to cheer for Jin Dali.


      Inspired by rounds of cheers, Jin Dali shook his body and reached his best form.


      Taking the last few seconds, he quickly deliberated his strategy.


      Lin Que just dealt Sister Xiaozhi a bitter rout in a flash with two Explosions and one miraculous strike. His body must be pretty drained. I bet he will play it safe in this round. He will probably aim at defeating me with the lowest consumption of his physical strength so he can save more of himself to confront the chief.


      In this case... I...


      Before he could finish this scenario, the referee fairly raised his right hand after one glance at the heavily panting Lin Que.


      "Round Three. Fight!"


      Jin Dali instantly made up his mind to move swiftly with the Crane steps, taking the initiative to attack with the Huxing (tiger form tactic) and follow up with Eagle Claw and Alligator Bite. Suddenly, he saw Lin Que concentrating his strength and once again breaking out his Danqi.


      Again?


      Is he not saving up at all?


      Lin Que transformed into a heavy truck, galloping towards Jin Dali.


      He moved at the speed of the wind, brewing some horrible strikes.


      Because he had plenty of actual battle experience, Jin Dali instantly stretched his body like a giant bear instead of ducking like an antelope.


      Jin Dali swelled his muscles and turned his body sideways, advancing forward to throw himself into Lin Que.


      Giant Bear Hitting Tree Moves of the Bear Style!


      Bam! Jin Dali in the giant bear form was knocked into the air. He stumbled and struggled to regain his balance rashly.


      Lin Que's next move was interrupted. His eyes shone abruptly as he performed another Force Concentration. No mercy!


      Boom! Like a bullet fired out of a barrel, he reached Jin Dali in an instant.


      His feet paused, forcing his body to a stop. Accompanied by loud friction sounds, he threw out his expanded right arm.


      Move 127 of the Fighting Sect, Meteor Blast!


      Roar! Jin Dali had barely stabilized his body when a brutal shock wave charged at him. It was so aggressive, like a bomb exploding, that he was almost blown away and his flesh felt like it was being torn.


      With no time to think thoroughly, he leaned back and rolled on the ground to avoid his sharpness.


      Lin Que has just performed his second Double Explosion. He's got to be tired. He should need a moment to recover. This is my opportunity to get back in the game with the Carp Jumping Moves.


      Lin Que's eyes became darker and deeper, his qi, blood, strength, and spirit were all gathered together.


      Triple Explosion!


      "Triple explosion... " Lou Cheng blurted out as his eyes lit up.


      Boom! With this Danqi explosion, Lin Que slid forward, scratching a line on the ground, and reached Jin Dali before he could get up. His right low kick stopped at Jin Dali's temple.


      "Round Three, Lin Que wins!"


      The referee's announcement was received by the audience with silence. Mu Yu rose and took a deep breath, taking off a Taoist amulet from his neck.




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     319 Bane
      "Round Three, Lin Que wins!"


      The referee's voice echoed across the Shannan University martial arts arena, reaching every student's ear and disintegrating their morale. Their mouth opened wide but no sound could be made.


      He's too powerful!


      Lin Que's too powerful!


      Two leading fighters of the club together couldn't last one minute in front of him!


      A dead silence hovered in the stadium, stunned by Lin Que's brutality and sharpness. They turned their eyes to their last hope, the chief and coach of the Martial Arts Club, Mu Yu the Bane.


      A crispy female sound burst out enthusiastically,


      "Lin Que! Lin Que!"


      Among the silent crowd, Mu Jinnian with her hands waving in the air passionately stood out sharply, drawing all the attention and making her a common enemy of all.


      Yan Xiaoling next to her was terrified like an ostrich, pulling her arm, shivering.


      "Jin, quiet down! Quiet down a bit!"


      I'm very excited for Lin Que's victory but we are in their stadium!


      After some counting, Yan Xiaoling confirmed their team of fans had only six members, including herself, while the number of Shannan University supporters was over 6,000!


      Their saliva could flood me!


      I'm not being dramatic!


      Mu Jinnian calmed down and quieted herself but her rosy cheeks, bright eyes, and tempting posture kept Yan Xiaoling worried. She updated in the live broadcasting post in the forum,


      "Among thousands of Shannan University supporters, the young lady next to me is so excited, trying to challenge them. What should I do? Urgent! Waiting online!"


      "Ha-hah. Pretend you don't know her and shout out your love for the Old Fellow Mu! It's not hard at all considering your personality!" Unparalleled Dragon King laughed hard while hammering the ground.


      Brahman suggested, "Get more godfathers!"


      "Shake hand with them and challenge them to beat you up so the young girl can stay safe... " Okamoto's Fan sneered.



      "What about pretending you are a quail!" With a front-line reporter in the forum, Nie Qiqi knew about the quail story.


      "I can lend you a wig and they won't be able to recognize you!" Said Naive to make reprisals.


      He was given many nicknames by Yan Xiaoling for his balding head, such as Bald Naive and Big Tool.


      Yan Xiaoling raised her head with grief, moving her eyes away from her mobile while muttering,


      "These goddamn kids!"


      …


      In the guest team seating area, Sun Jian rose the first with a cheer.


      Lin Que is awesome!


      He has knocked two rivals out so easily!


      He has broken through his own limit and performed Triple Explosion!


      Everyone was in high spirits. Lou Cheng leaned towards Yan Zheke and her pleasant fragrance and asked in a low voice out of curiosity, "What has your cousin been practicing? His physical strength has been greatly improved!"


      He used to think hard about how to help his brother-in-law improve his physical strength. He even sought aid from his master. But Geezer Shi sent him away with little care. "That kid has seniors in his family to help him. It's not proper for me to get involved."


      "Look at my face!" Yan Zheke pursed her lips and tilted her head, looking at her boyfriend like a spoiled little girl.


      "You don't know?" Lou Cheng tried to read her facial expression.


      "If I knew, I wouldn't have been so excited and surprised earlier," answered Yan Zheke in a rising tone before mouthing quietly, "Stupid Cheng!"


      She was in a great mood, with radiance in her eyes.


      "Well, your cousin is really good at creating breaking news inconspicuously." Lou Cheng poked fun at his brother-in-law.


      Yan Zheke rolled her eyes, refusing to speak evil of her own cousin. Extremely relaxed, she stretched her body and said calmly, "I know my grandparents got a few martial arts sets for physical strength training for him but it didn't work very well. Maybe my cousin has mastered all of them to achieve such a great improvement."


      They turned to the ring tacitly, watching Lin Que standing there taking his time to inhale and exhale, sweat dripping down from his forehead and forming a small pool on the ground.


      He must have trained hard to make this step forth beyond his limit!


      God helps those who help themselves.


      "Cheng, how many Dan stage explosions do you think my cousin can perform?" asked Yan Zheke, expectant and concerned.


      After a moment of pondering, Lou Cheng answered, "It's too far for me to have a clear look at him. Don't take me too seriously. I reckon your cousin can concentrate his force once more. He's better than a top Professional Ninth Pin fighter even without any Dan stage explosion. Although he has consumed much of his strength and his body is no longer at its peak, he can still have a decent fight.


      "In short, Lin Que has a good chance of winning if he's facing a regular Professional Ninth Pin fighter."


      "However... " Yan Zheke got her boyfriend's unspoken words and heaved a sigh.


      "However, his rival is a powerful martial artist with a supernatural ability!"


      The overly matured Mu Yu reached the stone stairs and handed his personal belongings to the supervisor.


      The peculiar Taoist School amulet he had taken off earlier was lying in Lin Xiaozhi's hand.


      This is nothing magical or divine but my own mental shackles.


      Because the side effect of his supernatural ability might cause a random relative of a friend of his misfortune for three days, he couldn't perform it at ease. He would use martial arts moves only unless it was necessary.


      For this reason, he failed to pass the Professional Eighth Pin ranking event though he had defeated more than one Professional Eighth Pin Dan stage rivals.


      The loser of this round will probably rank the second in this group and encounter Shanbei at the quarterfinals. Xiaozhi and Jin both implied that they were willing to suffer the misfortune. How could I disappoint their self-sacrifice? How could I let down all our supporters in the arena?


      Remove the shackles and go all out!


      From this moment, I'm Mu Yu, the Bane!


      Up the flight of stairs, he resumed the position where Lin Xiaozhi and Jin Dali both once set their feet on. Lin Que moved to his position, panting heavily.


      After one quick glance at Mu Yu, the referee straightened his face and shouted with strength from his chest,


      "Round Four. Fight!"


      Mu Yu hooked his toes and flipped the two big muscles on his back, adopting the skirmish tactic. Lin Que didn't do another fiercely offensive opening with his danqi.


      Upon Jin Dali's defeat, his body was burning with desires for fight and longing for victory. Until this moment, everything was resolved and he was calm like the water and stable like the earth.


      Lin Que shifted his weight and moved with the Yu steps, faster and agiler than Mu Yu, shortening the distance between them.


      The rival was almost in his range but abruptly his right foot sank into the ground as if stepping on a trap.


      Crack!


      His body fell out of balance as his right foot stuck in the ground!


      It was one of the bricks he stepped on earlier while accumulating strength for the Meteor Blast which required instant explosions like small bombs. The Yin force of his feet kept the bricks complete but softened the ground underneath, causing it unable to bear any weight.


      Within such a big arena, it was a really rare chance to perfectly step on one of them. How misfortunate!


      As Lin Que's body tilted, Mu Yu approached his side with the Crane steps and visualized a scene of tiger crying in the jungle while raising his right hand for a brutal downward slash!


      Losing balance like this would be a terrible problem for any Professional Ninth Pin fighter but a mighty Dan stage martial artist could easily turn it. Lin Que swelled his muscles and stretched his tendons, resuming his weight immediately and stabilizing his body for a left backward hook, half blocking half whirling.


      As soon as he exerted his strength, muscles of his arm cramped and strained!


      Martial artists would suffer such injuries quite often but it usually occurred when exhausted. How could mighty Dan stage fighter with nearly perfect body control hurt himself during strength exerting?


      Lin Que's condition had dropped, close to his limit. However, as a Dan stage fighter, all forces within his body should be blended as one. It would be impossible for him to experience such an accidental injury under normal circumstances.


      How unlucky he must be!


      If he was in his best form, the chance of such an accident would drop to almost zero and it could be avoided!


      It was why Lin Xiaozhi said the chief could win easily if the enemy was exhausted.


      If Lin Que engaged this strike rashly, his stance might be broken by Mu Yu and the minor strain might be turned into a severe injury. His eyes deepened as his thought sank. He drew in a deep breath and let his qi and blood flow back, forming his forces into one from head to toe.


      Boom!


      His danqi burst out. Lin Que's left arm paused for a split second before continuing to swell. Then it swung backward to work off the minor strain.


      Bam! Mu Yu's Downward Cut in Tiger-hug Posture couldn't confront this reverse punch with Force Concentration. He took several steps back, leaving deep and shallow footprints in the ground.


      His eyes cold as ice, Lin Que hurried forward to snatch this opportunity to perform the 24 Blizzard Strikes.


      His feet slipped and his body leaned forward to the ground!


      The very brick was wet by Jin Dali and his sweat!


      He stepped exactly on this one by chance.


      Mu Yu put strength to his foot and slid to Lin Que's back like a crane. Taking advantage of his low physical strength and slow recovery of balance, Mu Yu transformed into a giant bear and bumped against his back with a stream of Delicate Force.


      Bang!


      Lin Que staggered off the arena and barely managed to save himself from falling down.


      The referee withdrew his hand after nearly interfering to stop the match and announced,


      "Round Four, Mu Yu wins!"


      The Big Devil was defeated by Old Fellow Mu within several bouts! The audience burst into rounds of cheers, almost as passionate as the opening. They cried out their praise for the leading member of the club,


      "Mu Yu! Mu Yu!"


      "Bane! Bane!"


      "Such a troublesome supernatural ability... " Thought Lou Cheng. He took a deep breath and stood up to take off his jacket.


      Yan Zheke's eyes were filled with worries. She blurted out,


      "Cheng... "


      She wanted to ask him to be careful but didn't want to sound like a Corvine Mouth. She was stuck there, speechless.


      "What is it?" Lou Cheng looked at Ke.


      A smile blossomed on Yan Zheke's face. She waved her fist and said,


      "Go for it!"




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     320 A Strange Match
      Lou Cheng bumped fists with Yan Zheke and said to her in a low voice,


      "I need Coach Yan's ray of moral light to bless me!"


      Though the supernatural ability Misfortune was troublesome and strange, it was not so powerful as to be invincible. This was especially true as Old Fellow Mu had limited strength. The fight ought to be simple. As long as he paid attention to all aspects of the situation and fought more carefully, it would not be a big deal even he was unlucky. His strength was enough to offset Old Fellow Mu's supernatural ability.


      "Come, I'll lend you all my luck!" Yan Zheke's gaze faltered and she opened her pink lips to respond. She then took the initiative to bump Lou Cheng's fist again.


      Placing his coat on the seat, Lou Cheng turned around to clap with his team members one by one.


      "You'll win for sure!" Li Mao, Sun Jian, and the other members shouted without concern.


      Though they were confident in Lou Cheng, they could not help feeling nervous thinking of the strange and frightening way Lin Que lost as well as Old Fellow Mu's past victories.


      Fortunate people were all alike, while unfortunate people were all different in their own ways.


      Lou Cheng gave a slight smile. He balled up his fist and waved, replying decisively,


      "We'll win for sure!"


      ...


      Watching Lin Que fall, Lin Xiaozhi jumped up so excitedly that both the rosary in her hand and the cross in her palm swayed.


      "Team leader is so awesome!" She had once again tied her hair into a ponytail, shouting with clear happiness.


      He really did not fail her expectations!


      Jin Dali was also waving his fist in excitement and asked, as if asking for validation, "Our leader probably didn't expend a lot of his strength, right?"


      He had blocked Lin Que's Dan stage explosion only once, and he did not even use brute force to resist it!


      "Yes, looks like he can go all out to fight Lou Cheng!" Lin Xiaozhi nodded, her ponytail swaying behind her.


      Misfortune was truly an amazing supernatural ability!



      Thinking of this, she looked down to once again check if she has forgotten any amulets or if she brought some wrong ones.


      Misery usually went hand-in-hand with happiness!


      …


      In the stands, Mu Jinnian who had been shouting excitedly now looked dejected and was pouting.


      "Isn't this too much of a coincidence?"


      "Isn't he cheating?"


      In her mind, she dared Mu Yu to fight without his supernatural ability! If he had the guts, he should fight Lin Que purely using martial arts!


      He made Lin Que lose this match too pitifully!


      While Mu Jinnian was complaining unreasonably, Yan Xiaoling began to feel nervous. All sorts of scenarios where Lou Cheng was unlucky flashed in her mind.


      "He's in the arena! Everyone, hurry up and regard yourselves as his lucky stars from now on!" She posted her appeal in the live broadcast chat.


      "I'll take the lead!" Unparalleled Dragon King tried to make a joke.


      "Uncle, what do you mean? I don't understand... " Yan Xiaoling replied in puzzlement.


      The audience around her once again regained their enthusiasm and became eager to see the outcome of this match.


      There was only one fighter left in both teams, so why not let them anticipate victory?


      Though Lou Cheng was a skilled martial arts fighter, any accident could happen when both fighters were in tip-top condition. More importantly, his opponent's ability Misfortune could increase the probability of these accidents.


      Old Fellow Mu was not good at creating miracles, but he was skilled at dragging his opponent's strength to his level.


      They did not have much hope to win, but who knew? What if?


      The audience screamed, creating a wave of rolling echo.


      "Win him! Win him!"


      "Win him! Win him!"


      Lou Cheng ignored the rising waves of screams and walked steadily along the road to the arena. He met Lin Que halfway there.


      Lin Que's expression was neutral without any indication of pain, but he seemed to be deep in thought. He bumped fists with Lou Cheng simply out of habit.


      What, this did not seem like the Brother-in-law he knew! With Lin Que's persistent desire for victory, he ought to be feeling disappointed and dejected right now. Lou Cheng was surprised at his attitude.


      But in another moment, he immediately understood why. If he was Lin Que and lost a match without any rhyme or reason, he would also not feel pain. He would start evaluating why he lost so he could avoid making the same mistakes again.


      Brother-in-law ought to be thinking something along these lines.


      Just as they were about to separate, Lin Que suddenly said,


      "There's no problem as long as you're a little more careful."


      As expected... When Lou Cheng verified his thoughts, he laughed.


      "Don't worry!"


      Ending their conversation, he walked past Lin Que and headed towards the stone steps. As he walked, Lou Cheng's momentum gradually accumulated as a brutal snowstorm swept the arena, making Mu Yu fall into a sudden delusion that the surrounding temperature had dropped sharply. He subconsciously shuddered.


      When he stood before Mu Yu, Lou Cheng's momentum has already become as strong as the sea. Without even needing to launch any attacks, Lou Cheng was already weakening his opponent's wrath and affecting his judgment.


      The referee looked at them carefully and raised his right hand. He announced aloud,


      "Round five. Begin!"


      Instead of taking the initiative to attack, Lou Cheng chose to be careful. He cautiously observed his surroundings to make sure he everything on the arena and his own physical condition were within his grasp. He kept calm to prevent any accidents.


      Mu Yu unleashed his supernatural ability without any reservation. He ran in circles like a crane, approaching his opponent.


      But his right foot got caught abruptly on the ground, forcing him to involuntarily fall forward!


      There was, of course, more than one spot of soft ground that Lin Que had stepped on earlier!


      Before misfortune could befall Lou Cheng, Mu Yu first experienced this disappointing trap.


      Crack!


      With his right leg failing to reach the ground and his body falling forward, he realized he was about to kneel at Lou Cheng. He quickly bounced his spine and used the force in his muscles to pull the center of his gravity back in place.


      He pulled a little too hard this time. Though he did not fall forward, he ended up bending backwards and taking a few steps back instead.


      Tear! When he was moving back, Mu Yu was too confused to not notice that he was stepping on the slippery traces Lin Que made when he was sliding to kick Jin Dali.


      Sliding, his left leg slipped backward, forcing him into a split.


      Then he heard the sound of cloth tearing, a sweet and stirring sound.


      Tear!


      His pant was torn apart, revealing a crimson color underneath.


      Lou Cheng stood still and stared at this scene with his mouth open. The situation was so weird that he did not even dare to attack for fear of falling into a trap.


      "What's going on exactly?" Lou Cheng was confused.


      Mu Yu stood there firmly amidst the chaos. When he glanced down at his boxer briefs, his face became as red as his underpants. Several thoughts crossed his mind.


      How was this possible?


      Was his martial arts suit finally reaching its limit after wearing it for almost half a year?


      What was the reason behind this series of mishaps?


      "How is it possible?" Lin Xiao was holding her cross, watching the arena in a daze. She did not understand what had happened.


      The one who was unlucky was actually her leader, not Lou Cheng!


      She glanced shyly at Mu Yu's crimson boxer briefs and a thought suddenly came to her mind.


      Well, her leader also believed in metaphysics!


      "How is it possible?" Jin Dali rubbed his eyes, suspecting Lin Que had knocked him unconscious and he was currently in a dream.


      "How is it possible?" Yan Zheke stared at the arena with her mouth wide open. She was rarely this unladylike.


      The Bane himself became unlucky instead of Cheng!


      Does such a thing like ray of moral light really exists?


      "How is it possible?" Touching his chin, Cai Zongming abruptly gave Li Mao a punch.


      "What are you doing?" Li Mao snapped into focus and looked at him.


      He was not dreaming... Cai Zongming grinned and said,


      "Don't you find the situation very strange?"


      "Yes, it's very strange. Could it be that Bane's boomerang has come early? But doesn't his boomerang only affect others?" Li Mao had forgotten that Cai Zongming had punched him earlier.


      How could it happen... Lin Que frowned. He rarely felt puzzled. However, Geezer Shi beside him nodded as if he knew the reason.


      How was it possible… The audience in the stands were all stunned and confused. They even suspected it was a masquerade. The man wearing Lou Cheng's face actually was the leader Mu Yu and the unlucky one was Lou Cheng with Old Fellow Mu's face.


      The audience had the time to sigh or be surprised, but Mu Yu did not. If Lou Cheng approached him while he was still stuck in a split, he could only block his attacks two or three times!


      With so many thoughts in his mind, he made a quick decision to lie down and roll to the other side, hiding his killer move, the Silent Kick.


      Lou Cheng merely watched and did not blindly attack. He still had not figured out what was going on or if Mu Yu's supernatural ability could affect him. Of course he had to be cautious.


      Mu Yu was relieved that his opponent did not take the opportunity to attack him. He stopped rolling and exerted force into his waist and abdomen. He was seemingly trying to stand so he could fight Lou Cheng again.


      Just then, a few round stones that he accidentally dragged with him as he rolled stopped where he stood.


      Tear! Mu Yu once again slipped, falling before he could straighten his back. He fell heavily on his back, to the point where his head was dizzy.


      He rolled to the side again in a flurry to avoid Lou Cheng's attack.


      Lou Cheng was watching Mu Yu's 'performance', face twitching. He has almost forgotten he was still on the arena.


      What was he was trying to do?


      After rolling several times, Mu Yu suddenly found himself over the edge of the arena. More than half of him was outside the arena and floating mid-air!


      Shocked, he tried to straighten the fascia muscle in his palm and stretched his five fingers out to hold onto the arena. But it was too late. In the end, his fingertips only grazed the edge of the arena.


      Flop! Mu Yu fell down on the ground next to the arena, stunned and confused.


      He was the only one shocked. So was Lou Cheng, whose mouth was open in surprise. He almost blurted out, "What the hell!"


      He did not even attack once and he already won?


      Never mind that. He did not even move an inch since the match started!


      The referee was dazed for a while, before glanced at Lou Cheng with a stunned expression. He raised his right hand to announce,


      "Round five, Lou Cheng wins!"


      "The final result is that Songcheng University Martial Arts Club wins!"


      Dang! The cross in Lin Xiaozhi's hand fell to the ground. She murmured to herself, surprised, "This metaphysical isn't right.... Yes, that's right. If it's something people can understand, it won't be called metaphysics... "


      "God has taken the wrong script, right?" Jin Dali blurted out as if he was in a dream.


      The audience in the stands looked at one other with confusion. So far, they were not feeling the pain of failure.


      They may have been watching a fake match!


      This could be considered as one of the incredible events on campus, right? The Bane, famous for making his opponents experience misfortune, defeated himself in a match where his opponent did even make a move at all!


      A shocked Cai Zongming gradually opened his mouth to say, "This is the strangest match I've ever seen... "


      So far!




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     321 Poor Man
      Yan Xiaoling, who was recording the match with her phone from the stand, also had her mouth wide open and a dumbfounded expression on her face.


      She was still worrying earlier that she would not help cheering for him when the match became exciting cheer. She might even flail and accidentally hurl her phone away. Who knew this development of this match would be so unbelievable and she was transfixed even now.


      There was no cheering nor excitement. She immediately closed the camera app and uploaded the video to the forum, with a title that best expressed her current feeling.


      "I might have seen a ghost!"


      User Unparalleled Dragon King watched the less-than-a-minute video and sent an emoji scratching the back of its head. He replied, "F*ck, what was Mu Yu doing? Lou Cheng won just like that?"


      "Is it because of the boomerang effect of Mu Yu's supernatural ability?" User Road to the Arena somehow noticed this post and left a comment.


      "Hahaha! I see. That's hilarious. I laughed so much my stomach is hurting!" User Nie Qiqi sent a laughing emoji.


      "I watched it twice and laughed each time! How is this a martials art match? This is obviously a comedy sketch!" User Okamoto's Fan replied with a cry-laughing emoji.


      "Hands up! Didn't you say that the boomerang effect only affects others?" User Brahman sent a cry-laughing emoji along with a dumbfounded emoji.


      Unparalleled Dragon King commented with a belly-laughing emoji and added, "Lou Cheng is the Heavenly Son with great luck! However, Mu Yu used his supernatural ability on Lin Que and Lou Cheng in succession, so it's natural for him to experience the boomerang effect. It totally makes sense. It's the exact reason!"


      Brahman sent a big laughing emoji and said, "So that's it... Then I can laugh with ease!"


      "But he isn't affected when he fought Peng Leyun last year... " User Wonton Seller, a senior student in high school, had been waiting to watch this specific video at break time.


      "There's no problem. Last year, Mu Yu used the Misfortune at first to fight with the Corvine Mouth of Xu Wannian like Kilkenny cats, so he barely won the match. As a result, he was too weak to use his supernatural ability by the time he fought Peng Leyun." Unparalleled Dragon King was a human database and was well-versed with that match. "Of course, Lou Cheng may be talented in resisting this kind of supernatural ability."



      "Oh! I see, @Eternal Nightfall. Can I upload this video to Weibo? It's so funny that I want more people to see it!" User All Good Names Are Taken By Dogs sent an emoji that rolled about.


      "Of course!" Yan Xiaoling began to smile, gradually recovering from shock.


      All Good Names Are Taken By Dogs immediately posted the video on Weibo with the caption:


      "An unbelievable match! Lou Cheng who wins without moving vs. a self-defeating Mu Yu!"


      In the end, she tagged a few of her good friends on Weibo.


      One of her female friends with the username Dumm Dong sent a cry-laughing emoji and said,


      "Haha, what a professional show! There's not a single flaw! He's really using his whole life to perform! @Oscar Best Actor".


      …


      In the martial arts arena of Shanbei University, Fang Zhirong had completely suppressed his opponent.


      Xu Wannian and Peng Leyun sat side by side, showing no interest in this boring match with an obvious outcome. They even doubted if they would have the chance to fight because their opponents were so weak.


      If he was not manager of the martial arts club and had to take care of his image in front of his classmates, he even wanted to take out his phone to search for Lou Cheng and Mu Yu's match.


      Did his Taste of the Stars really restrained Mu Yu's supernatural ability?


      In November last year, he suffered the boomerang effect when he used Corvine Mouth to make fun of Mu Yu. But one example cannot prove anything.


      While he was lost in thought, someone handed him a phone.


      "Brother Peng, what's wrong?" He looked at Peng Leyun beside him.


      The corner of Peng Leyun's mouth upturned and he implicitly answered, "Just take a look."


      He was actually an easy-going man when not in a daze.


      "Look?" Xu Wannian looked down to see Lou Cheng's fan forum open on the screen. It was a video of the match between Lou Cheng and Mu Yu. He suddenly could not help holding his breath and reaching out to click the play button.


      F*ck... F*ck…! Xu Wannian's expression shifted several times as he watched the video. When the less-than-a-minute video was done, he just sat there and lost in thought. In the end, the referee's voice announcing Fang Zhirong's victory shook him out of his reverie.


      "Brother Peng, i-if I met Lou Cheng... " He suddenly turned around and looked at Peng Leyun with a tearful face. "Can I just give up?"


      Peng Leyun chuckled. "What do you think?"


      Xu Wannian inhaled a deep breath. "I'm afraid I can't control my mouth! How about you guys tape my mouth shut?"


      …


      Outside the arena, Mu Yu finally began to accept reality. He was neither frustrated nor pained about his failure. There was only confusion and bewilderment.


      He carefully stood up and looked up and down Lou Cheng several times. He walked slowly towards the home team seats out of fear that the ground he stepped on would suddenly collapse and create a deep pit for him.


      "Leader, what's going on?" Watching him coming over, Lin Xiaozhi cautiously stood up and welcomed him back.


      Mu Yu thought for a while and answered, "The boomerang effect of my supernatural ability."


      This was a fact. But what he was not sure what was the reason for it.


      "How is it possible?" Lin Xiaozhi frowned, but suddenly nodded in understanding. "I get it. It's because Lou Cheng is blessed by god, so neither curse nor misfortune work on him. Having lost its target, your ability will fail and cause the boomerang effect!"


      "What kind of theory are you talking about?" Mu Yu blurted out in surprise.


      Lin Xiaozhi answered him seriously, "Metaphysical theory!"


      Mu Yu was momentarily stunned before explaining his own suspicion. "I suspect Lou Cheng has a third supernatural ability, an ability that can restrain or even rebound curse and misfortune-related supernatural abilities."


      "It's possible... " Jin Dali came to stand beside Lin Xiaozhi.


      After seeing all his team members, Mu Yu finally removed himself from his bewilderment and confusion. Sorrowfully, he expressed his apology to them.


      "I'm sorry, I'm sorry that I can't lead you to advance to the National Finals this year."


      The students who dared to join their Martial Arts Club really had true love for them!


      The atmosphere abruptly became sad and solemn. Lin Xiaozhi was about to cry, but she took a breath and put on a hopeful and relaxed act. "Leader, even if we didn't make it this year, we still have next, next year! What's there to worry about? We still have a chance!"


      "Why not the next year?" Jin Dali asked in confusion.


      "Isn't it obvious? Peng Leyun will be in his final year next year, while Lou Cheng and Lin Que will have another year's worth of growth. Shanbei and Songcheng University will be invincible. How could we have a chance to go to the finals? If we wait for next, next year, Peng Leyun would have graduated. We could still get the other advancing position, even if Lou Cheng and Lin Que become more powerful by then." Lin Xiaozhi was initially trying to cook up some reasons, but she got more emotional as she continued.


      They also wanted to participate in the National Finals for once.


      They needed something to pursue in their four-year university life!


      "But I'm in my third year now. I'll have graduated by then... " Mu Yu interrupted her in a daze.


      Lin Xiaozhi glanced at him and laughed. "Leader, you can't abandon us! Without your ability, how can we advance to the National Finals? Why don't you apply to defer your graduation? You've failed several classes anyway. You might not even have enough credits to graduate."


      Shannan University, like other top universities, used the credit system. One to four credits for a course. With enough credits for undergraduate classes, students are allowed to graduate on time or earlier. If the credits were not enough, one could apply to delay graduation by one to two years.


      Speaking of this, Lin Xiaozhi suddenly became irritated. She usually got good grades, but her leader has used his ability on her twice, worsening her luck.


      As she was reanimating the atmosphere, the audience sitting in the stands of the arena began to cheer. Their sound grew louder and stronger, finally turning into unified chants for the host team.


      "Stand together through storm and stress!"


      Stand together through storm and stress... Mu Yu and the other members were shocked and looked around instinctively. They were so touched that they cried due to the audience's chants.


      …


      Under the chanting, Lou Cheng returned to his seat. He first saw Shu Rui and her team recording details of the match.


      Trying to be friendly, he waved at her. Just as he was about to go over and say hi, Shu Rui suddenly paled when she saw him. She even took a few steps backwards, as if she was afraid of getting affected by some mysterious things. Her team did the same thing. In the end, only the cameraman was left standing there, looking embarrassed.


      "Cheng, that's miraculous! You won the game without making a single move!" Just then, Cai Zongming gave him a thumbs-up to compliment him, resolving the awkwardness in the air.


      "I'm pretty shocked... " Lou Cheng smiled and walked to him.


      Cai Zongming quietly moved back to keep a distance from Lou Cheng.


      "Why are you hiding?" Lou Cheng said humorously, seeing Yan Zheke walking to his side with surprise and pleasure.


      He already understood that these people were afraid of being affected by him and to be as unfortunate as Mu Yu.


      Cai Zongming snickered, hiding behind Lin Que without a word.


      "Are you still my friend?" Lou Cheng helplessly glanced at "Talker".


      "No, I'm not!" Cai Zongming answered without a shred of shame.


      Lou Cheng was amused by his answer. When he saw his fairy moving to stand beside him without hesitation, he had one thought.


      This was true love!


      Just then, he heard his own master's voice. "Maybe the legacy you got from Longhu Immortal can help you rebound supernatural abilities like Misfortune and Corvine Mouth."


      His words were like a lightning crossing his mind, clearing the fog in it. Lou Cheng immediately understood what had happened earlier.


      When he was asleep, Jindan could sense approaching danger. Thus when he achieved the Dan stage, his supernatural ability seemed to have blended into his own Jindan.


      Was this his third awakening ability? Of course, so far, most of the power in this supernatural ability was derived temporarily from the Jindan...


      What should he call the supernatural ability that combined Blessed by God with his predicting ability? Son of Heaven? Lucky Star?


      Lou Cheng subconsciously glanced at Li Mao and the other teammates. He was surprised to find them still wearing the same shocked expressions and showed no response to his Master's explanation.


      His master showed his strong ability again!


      While Lou Cheng was still shocked about his master, Yan Zheke stood on her tiptoes and whispered in his ear.


      "Cheng, did you notice anything odd in the match earlier?"


      Lou Cheng smiled and explained, "I probably awakened my third supernatural ability, helping me deflect Mu Yu's Misfortune and causing the boomerang effect. To be honest, this ability has been awakened a long time ago. But it's either I haven't notice it or I didn't know its effects... "


      He shared with Coach Yan his experience catching a thief in the train station.


      "Oh, I see... " Yan Zheke looked at him with pleasant surprise, before harrumphing. "I'm so angry now! I thought it's my ray of moral light that led you to victory! I thought it's me who awakened your supernatural ability, Character!"


      "Look. For Mu Yu to experience such serious boomerang effect, so your light is also working." Lou Cheng tried his best to placate her. He thought of a problem and said, "Ke, why aren't you afraid of being affected by my Misfortune and take the initiative to welcome me? Is it because you believe in me or is it because you think you need to worry because you have the light?"


      Yan Zheke answered him with a snicker.


      …


      After waving goodbye to the audience, Mu Yu and the other members returned to their locker room.


      Since the leader has already experienced the boomerang effect, Lin Xiaozhi was much more relieved and never worried she would be affected by his Misfortune. She took off her shoes and walked into the washroom. She took off all her amulets and stuffed them into the closet with her clothes.


      With the splash of hot water on her, every cell of her body was quivering with comfort.


      After shampooing her hair, Lin Xiaozhi began to enjoy her shower.


      Just then, she saw the light overhead flashed a few times and sizzled.


      After a brief struggle, the bulb finally died.


      Lin Xiaozhi found the sizzling hot water had turned into the bone-chilling cold water.


      This... She turned to look at her closet, feeling that her lovely amulets were so far out of her reach.




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     322 Hot Topic
      Though everyone from Shannan University Martial Arts Club was depressed, they didn't react violently toward the fighters in the locker room. So Lou Cheng and the others didn't escape from Shannan in a hurry like they did after defeating Yimo. Instead, they spent a while relaxing and celebrating their victory in the locker room, after which they packed their belongings and came out slowly.


      At this time, most of the audience was already gone, with only several students remaining to do exercises.


      Upon seeing Lou Cheng, they immediately began scattering like small animals who were terrified that the Demon King came to invade.


      Even Mu Yu, the Bane, suffered due to Lou Cheng. Normal people better stay away from him.


      Seeing this scene, Cai Zongming and the others could not help laughing and turning their gazes toward the well-known "hero" teasingly, because they were among the few people who knew Lou Cheng had actually used his third supernatural ability to reflect Mu Yu's curse.


      Holding Yan Zheke's hand in one hand, Lou Cheng covered his face with the other, sighed, and then said,


      "They're acting like I'm a super-villain… "


      While feeling embarrassed, Lou Cheng also thought it was kind of cool!


      ...


      When all the members of Songcheng University Martial Arts Club arrived back at school, exhausted, it was already 8:00 at night. So they quickly said goodbye to each other and went back to their dorms separately to catch up on their chores for the weekend.


      The next day, after another round of morning exercise and special training, Lou Cheng went to the NO.1 school building with Yan Zheke in the afternoon, looking for an empty classroom to study in.


      With two schoolbags over his shoulder, Lou Cheng chuckled as he watched the students coming and going, and then said,


      "Actually I like seeing girls on their way to class or to study, with books in their arms. It's like a scene from a book."


      "I used to do that, but someone always takes my books once he sees them~" said Yan Zheke. Then she turned her watery eyes to Lou Cheng, giving him a gentle smile and added, "I thought it was difficult for him to carry two piles of books at one time, so I put them in a bag. Otherwise, I would get to see a tall and strong man walking around like a girl with several books in his arms… haha."



      She was almost choked by her laughter.


      Lou Cheng arched his lips and echoed,


      "That scene is too fantastic to be seen!"


      "But I'm not as strong as you think. It's more about balance!"


      Chatting and laughing, they entered the school building and headed up to the third floor while looking for a good place to study.


      They finally found one after checking almost every classroom on the floor, in which there were only a dozen people studying quietly. They seated themselves in the back row near the window.


      "Even on Sunday, there are still so many students here? The academic atmosphere here seems to be good." Lou Cheng said while recalling what he had seen in other classrooms. Lou Cheng sighed and then added, "But every time I go back to the dorm, Little Ming and God-Man are always fooling around, which has greatly influenced my impression of students these days… "


      God-Man was the nickname Tang Wen received from Talker and was acknowledged by the whole dorm since he had been so addicted to online games that he forgot the examination time as well as the makeup exams.


      Taking back her schoolbag, Yan Zheke smiled before opening it and said,


      "It reminds me of what our Marketing Management teacher usually says. Survey results mostly depend on the samples you use. It's like doing a survey on the academic atmosphere in this university. If you want a good result, you would look at the students studying in the school buildings and library, but a critic would do the survey in the martial arts arena."


      She carefully controlled her volume in order not to bother others. Such a faint voice didn't affect their communication at all from this short distance because they both had good sight and hearing.


      While speaking, Yan Zheke opened her schoolbag and took out all the thick textbooks, reference materials, half-filled notebooks, scratch papers, and a pencil bag with a pink piggy pattern on it.


      On the other side, Lou Cheng also took out the textbook for discrete mathematics, a detailed explanation of examples, a notebook with key information in it, scratch paper, a pencil, and an eraser.


      They arranged all the stuff on the desk almost at the same time, in the same order, as if there was a mirror in between.


      They exchanged a look and smile with each other while enjoying the warm sunshine that poured in through the window. The atmosphere here was just right.


      When Lou Cheng was about to open the book, Yan Zheke suddenly looked up at him with her left hand supporting her chin and said,


      "Cheng, do you think it's too boring?"


      "What's boring?" Lou Cheng asked in confusion.


      "I mean," Yan Zheke turned her gaze up, bit her lips, and added, "You always accompany me to study, but there hasn't been time for us to date. Do you think it's boring?"


      Other couples aren't like this.


      "That's what you're talking about?" Lou Cheng couldn't help laughing as he said, "Not boring at all. I was once addicted to studying, and at that time, the joy and satisfaction of figuring out a difficult question was equal to winning a Challenge Tournament. In addition, my subjects are more difficult and I have to study harder in order to pass the exams. Besides, isn't what we are doing now a kind of date? Everything I do with you is like a date to me!"


      He had compromised on his studying from getting all A's to only graduating with passing marks. After all, it was hard to balance the time and energy he spent on martial arts and schoolwork.


      "Dis-gusting!" Yan Zheke said with smiling eyes and lowered her voice, "In fact, in fact, I feel good now… "


      While studying, each time she raised her head to look at Cheng's face, she would feel warm and cozy knowing Cheng was always with her.


      "Me too!" Lou Cheng said with emphasis.


      With twinkling eyes and two dimples showing on her face, Yan Zheke replied, "Really? Do you really like it? Do you like it a lot?"


      "Yeah, I really like it!" Lou Cheng spoke his mind without hesitation.


      "Since you like it, we will cancel all future dates and study whenever we are free instead!" Yan Zheke straightened her back and stated cheerfully.


      "What?" Lou Cheng was stunned, and then said, "These, these two can't be mixed together and treated as the same… "


      Before he could finish his words, Lou Cheng saw Yan Zheke's eyes brighten and her mouth puff up with her lips clenched tightly as she tried hard to stifle her laughter.


      "I was tricked by you again... " said Lou Cheng, then he sighed while covering his face with his hands.


      "Hehe… " Yan Zheke bent over the desk, laughing into her arms. Her shoulders were shaking and her hair drooped down. she was really enjoying herself.


      With this, they both felt happy and relaxed. They even seemed to study more efficiently.


      After reviewing one chapter of Discrete Mathematics and finishing the corresponding exercises, Lou Cheng was slightly satisfied with his progress. However, he was feeling a little dizzy, so he decided to take a ten-minute break.


      "What a difficult subject, and it is said that many students fail the exams every year!" Staring at the textbook for several seconds, Lou Cheng sighed and then turned his gaze toward Yan Zheke, who was completely focused on her writing. She frowned, pouted, smiled, and bit her lips… all of her small actions were attractive and intoxicating.


      Looking at her with a smile, Lou Cheng became captivated by her fluttering eyelashes, spirited eyes, and pink cheeks…


      "What are you looking at? Mind your own business! Play with your cell phone!" she said. Unable to bear his warm gaze, Yan Zheke glared at him bitterly and tenderly.


      Lou Cheng gave her a smile and withdrew his gaze. Then he took out his cell phone and unlocked it, intending to visit the forum. The first post he saw was by "All Good Names Are Taken By Dogs."


      "Haha, I'm in the headlines! The video I forwarded became a hot topic!"


      What video? Lou Cheng went to the webpage through the link in the post and saw a video named "Relaxed Winner Lou Cheng vs Self-Defeated Mu Yu".


      The video of their match was so funny that lots of viewers had forwarded it, causing it to spread like a wildfire. Within one day the webpage was forwarded more than 10,000 times and commented nearly 10,000 times, while its views were countless.


      Lou Cheng watched the video from the view of a spectator and was also amused, feeling very sympathetic for Old Fellow Mu.


      "Haha, maybe I've won this match in a dream!" He went on looking through the comments with a smile, waiting for Zheke to finish her schoolwork and then share the funniest parts with her.


      "He was not only a powerful fighter but also a good actor!"


      "This will keep me laughing for the whole year!"


      "Haha, my mom wants to know why I'm kneeling down in front of the computer!"


      "it was so magical and there was no flaw in his actions. Even Lou Cheng just stood there looking stunned~"


      Gradually he noticed several interesting ID's like "Mu Yu of Shannan", "Old Fellow Mu", "Mu Yu The Bane", "Lou Cheng of Songcheng University" and "Fighter Lou Cheng".


      "Lou Cheng of Songcheng University" sighed with emotion and wrote, "It was the first time I fought in a match like that. I was almost overwhelmed!"


      "Fighter Lou Cheng" saw "Lou Cheng of Songcheng University" and began accusing him, "You fake! That's a newly registered ID, you must be copying me!"


      "You said on the webpage that you were in the capital, so has Songcheng University moved to the capital?" "Lou Cheng of Songcheng University" argued back.


      "Damn it, who are they? I haven't registered any IDs yet!" Lou Cheng thought, stunned by all the fakes.


      They were all newly registered IDs for the purpose of partaking in Lou Cheng's popularity!


      At this time, Yan Zheke's mobile suddenly vibrated with the notification for a new message.


      Having just finished a problem, she was feeling rather satisfied and relaxed, so Yan Zheke picked up her cell phone, finding a message from Yan Xiaoling.


      "Senior sister, senior sister, get Lou Cheng an ID on Weibo. We're going to follow him! There are so many guys masquerading as him! The video of Old Fellow Mu and his match is currently a hot topic… "


      Her disorganized words took Yan Zheke quite a while to understand. "Cheng," Zheke immediately turned her head and said, "Do you know what's happening on Weibo? The video of your match with Mu Yu?"


      "Yeah, I'm watching it. There are three fake Lou Chengs arguing with each other." Lou Cheng replied, wanting to laugh and weep at the same time.


      The ongoing argument among the three frauds had attracted more than 10,000 Weibo users to follow them.


      ...


      In Shannan University, Lin Xiaozhi was standing on the balcony in a protective suit, calling Mu Yu.


      "Captain, captain, check Weibo. You are currently a hot topic! Ahchoo!"


      "I've seen it, isn't it bad news… " Mu Yu's face was flashing red and white from anger and embarrassment at the banter.


      "There are more people following you, and it's definitely good news. Maybe you'll be a celebrity on Weibo and make a big fortune through it. Ahchoo, come on, change your literary and artistic ID into your real name, and we'll prove you are the real one!" Lin Xiaozhi urged him.


      Damn it. How could I get a cold from taking a cold bath? I'm an energetic Professional-Ninth-Pin fighter!


      Just my luck to be Bane's friend and have to pay the price for his supernatural ability!


      ...


      On the other side, Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke were still cheerfully watching the three frauds argue, along with the other onlookers.


      Suddenly, Lou Cheng's cell phone vibrated with the notification for an incoming call.


      He hurried to answer it with a lowered voice.


      "Senior sister?"


      It was Shi Yuejian calling!


      Shi Yuejian was laughing. "I saw that video and it was so funny! Come on, register a Weibo ID and stop those guys from stealing your popularity."


      "I already have one… " Lou Cheng said as his mouth twitched.


      He had registered on Weibo to look at something a long time ago, and his ID was very embarrassing…


      "You have one? What's your ID? I couldn't find it. All the present IDs related to you are fakes!" Shi Yuejian continued asking.


      Lou Cheng covered his face with both hands, too embarrassed to say the name.


      He liked reading fantasy novels at that time, and thus his Weibo ID was "Taiyi the Greatest God". Up to now, he only had one follower, not counting some zombie IDs, and it was his little fairy, "Swordsman Dislikes Drinking". As for Zheke's QQ ID, she had already changed it to "Little Ke".


      "I'm going to change my ID. I'll call you back when I finish," Lou Cheng said, without telling Shi Yuejian his original ID."


      "Okay, I'll help you with the authentication procedure," Shi Yuejian said and then hung up the phone.


      Lou Cheng rushed to change his ID "Taiyi the Greatest God" to "Lou Cheng 129".


      "129… " Watching as Lou Cheng changed the ID, Yan Zheke murmured to herself and smiled, making dimples appeared on her face. She couldn't help feeling a touch of sweetness in her heart.


      January 29th was her birthday.


      "Hehe." Lou Cheng smiled without saying a word. Soon his change was acknowledged and he sent the new ID to his senior sister.


      Within minutes, the ID "Shi Yuejian of Wuyue Club", who had hundreds and thousands of followers, forwarded "All Good Names Are Taken By Dogs" webpage and added some words to it.


      "That match was so funny! @Lou Cheng 129, actually, he's my junior brother!"




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     323 The Followers Are Rocketing
      The seemingly plain post on Weibo from Shi Yuejian immediately caused a stir. "Well, he's my junior brother" these several words shocked lots of viewers, who forwarded and commented on the post, one after another.


      "This is a stunning piece of news!"


      "So Lou Cheng is your junior brother, super-woman Shi? No wonder he advanced to Eighth-Pin and got the championship of Xing Province Youth Tournament within one year, making him a promising competitor for the God's favored one!"


      "No wonder, no wonder. Lou Cheng is also a disciple of a great sect! Then the loss Zhang Zhutong and Han Zhifei faced is justifiable!"


      "Is that really the attitude you should have? There's no rule saying that only disciples from great sects can be a genius. We should change it to geniuses will eventually join a great sect! Even if one of the sects was blind, they can't all be blind!"


      This comment came from Unparalleled Dragon King. Of course, the Dragon King in Lou Cheng's fan forum was using his real name in Weibo — "Chen Qitao the Dragon King".


      Unparalleled Dragon King's words made Ye Youting, who was going through the comments, feel ashamed of herself. Just now when she saw Shi Yuejian's Weibo post, some thoughts suddenly flashed across her mind, which were similar to some of the comments.


      "No wonder I was defeated by Lou Cheng at that time, no wonder he was always able to create miracles and overtake all his peers including me at a high speed. It was all because of his background as a disciple of Ice God Sect." Ye Youting herself had just reached Dan stage and was recently accepted by Xuanwu School. She didn't even have a physical-invulnerability master yet…


      After Unparalleled Dragon King refuted her post, she felt tortured in spirit and broke out in a cold sweat.


      My thoughts and attitude just now were dangerous!


      As a warrior, it was okay to accept her loss, but she must not make excuses to justify it!


      Turning her gaze down, she continued to go through the comments.


      "Wow, Lou Cheng is your junior brother? No wonder I had a good impression of him!"


      "Your junior brother is excellent~ He has just won a championship, right?"


      "Yeah. But Lou Cheng didn't use Ice Sect movements, only the 24 Blizzard Strikes!"



      "So Lou Cheng has been in Dan stage for four months? He must have learned some special Ice Sect movements as super-woman Shi's junior brother. Wow, I'm looking forward to his competition with Peng Leyun and Ren Li!"


      "Super-woman, super-woman, let your junior brother share with us his feelings when he was faced with such peerless acting. Was he confused?"


      "Was he laughing like a fool?"


      …


      They didn't know Lou Cheng was busy sharing his Senior Sister's Weibo post with Yan Zheke. After the two of them finished enjoying the "liked" parts Lou Cheng was stunned because his ID, Lou Cheng 129, suddenly had more than 20,000 followers, and the number was still climbing!


      "What good advertisement!" Yan Zheke said jokingly.


      "Most of them were not my fans and just came to have fun… " Lou Cheng replied, calmly and rationally as usual. He knew his real fans in the forum still didn't amount to more than 10,000.


      Though he thought this way, Lou Cheng was still excited and asked Yan Zheke in a low voice,


      "Ke, is it time for me to make a post? What should I say?"


      "Just be yourself and say anything you like~" Yan Zheke Said and gave him a smile.


      "Yeah, I'm a fighter and fans are not my whole life, so I don't need to devote myself to acting like a perfect model. Just do what I like!" Lou Cheng made up his mind and nodded seriously.


      "What Coach Yan taught me is more useful than ten years of studying!"


      "You liar! I have taught you hundreds and thousands of lessons but are you as smart as someone that lived hundreds and thousands of years?" Yan Zheke debated with him deliberately, giving out soft laughter.


      "I don't know how to answer you… " Lou Cheng also burst out laughing. Then he forwarded his Senior Sister's post and added some words.


      "Thanks for Senior Sister's acknowledgement …(laugh to tears)I was indeed confused and even believed that student Mu Yu was making a dangerous attack that would harm both of us, so I dared not act rashly. Finally, I understood that Mu Yu's supernatural ability, Misfortune, had rebounded onto him."


      Several seconds after he made the post, a new comment appeared.


      Clicking to expand it, Lou Cheng found this "Little Mouse in Hutong" only left two words.


      "Like me!"


      "The first commenter was usually regarded as a lucky one…" again refreshing the site, Lou Cheng found the forwards and comments under his post increased by a large amount.


      "Eternal Nightfall," said, "A big hug to my Lou Cheng! Let's take a photo!"


      "Brahman 001" said, "My idol, look at me, look at me! See my waving hands~?"


      "My Hair's Much Longer Now," said, "I'm coming!"


      "Unparalleled Dragon King" commented with a "smiling cat" emoji, "What should I say? A group of fans from the Longhu Club forum has arrived?"


      Yan Zheke was greatly amused by them and helped Lou Cheng refresh the site frequently. There were many familiar names, as well as a lot of new IDs.


      If she hadn't noticed Yan Xiaoling in advance, everyone from Lou Cheng's fan forum wouldn't be in the first several sections of the comment area.


      "I don't want to hear your explanation, I'm always actor Mu Yu's fan!"


      "So it was because his supernatural ability rebounded… "


      "Bane, what a cool name!"


      While Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke were going through the following comments, a popular ID forwarded his post.


      Mo Jingting, who had hundreds of thousands of likes, said with a "flushing face" emoji,


      "My excellent junior master~"


      …


      In a classroom on the fourth floor of the No.1 teaching building, Qiu Zhigao stretched himself after reviewing some lessons, preparing to do something to relax.


      He clicked on the Weibo for Mo Jingting's official fan club, looking forward to Tuesday's vocal concert.


      While browsing he saw a new comment, "Come on! Our sister just made a post, let's go like and forward it!"


      "What happened to my Jingting?" Old Qiu clicked the link with great interest.


      "Her excellent junior master? Who?" Qiu Zhigao found out the ID that made the original post Mo Jingting forwarded was Lou Cheng 129.


      "Haha, the same name as Cheng. Jingting's excellent junior master is also called Lou Cheng. What a coincidence… " Qiu Zhigao clicked on Lou Cheng 129's homepage to see his self-introduction.


      "The leading player of Songcheng University Martial Arts Club"


      "The leading player of Songcheng University Martial Arts Club? The same as Cheng, wait… " Qiu Zhigao froze when he saw those words.


      Damn it, is this the Lou Cheng I know?


      He, he's Jingting's junior master?


      …


      Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke also noticed Mo Jingting's action, because his likes had increased to fifty thousand and was rapidly approaching one hundred thousand. Now he was famous.


      "There are too many guys focusing on me, which is unreasonable at my age… " He said with self-deprecating humor, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.


      What does junior niece Mo mean by exposing her identity and background? It may not be good for her.


      Besides, too much attention will be annoying.


      Lou Cheng wasn't prepared to be a real celebrity yet. He just wanted to compete for honors and awards, fight against tough opponents, and move on towards the peak of martial arts.


      "You are complaining about something that other people dream of… " Yan Zheke said and smiled, "Is it a kind of peace offering?"


      "But I don't like it." Lou Cheng said and sighed.


      "It's enough for her. Well, for those who don't know the inside information of Ice God Sect, this post will be enough to convince them that there is a good relationship between the two of you. As long as you keep advancing and growing stronger, her post won't be in vain… " Said Yan Zheke while rolling her eyes. After analyzing Mo Jingting's intention, Yan Zheke continued, "Unless you post denying it, but I don't think you are willing to do that… "


      At this moment, Lou Cheng's mobile suddenly vibrated with the notification for a new message.


      "Junior neice," said, "Little junior master, I forwarded your post out of excitement, will it bring you trouble?'


      "Well, she apologized after everything is done as usual…" Lou Cheng showed the message to coach Coach Yan and then replied after thinking for a while, "It indeed brought me some trouble, so don't do it again."


      Seeing what he texted, Yan Zheke burst out laughing. Poking fun at him she said, "What a serious junior master you are~"


      You are speaking like an old man~!


      Mo Jingting soon replied, "junior master you are really nice and broad-minded~ I won't do it again! I promise!"


      "Of course you needn't do it again since your goal was accomplished…" Complaining in his mind, Lou Cheng put down the cell phone and turned his focus back toward studying.


      At this time, Yan Zheke bit her lower lip and suggested, "Ask her when would be a convenient time to meet, before or after the vocal concert? We should play the hospitable host here and invite her to dinner."


      "Usually it is hard for us to leave school, so we'll just go to her vocal concert instead of treating her if time is limited," said Lou Cheng. He actually wanted to ignore the vocal concert if it hadn't provided him with an opportunity to go on a date with Zheke.


      Lou Cheng's words greatly satisfied Yan Zheke, who put on a smile and said, "I've just said you were like a responsible junior master, but now you want to ignore your junior niece because of a little trouble?"


      "There are only a few people I want to do things for no matter the cost, and she is not one of them," Lou Cheng replied with a smile, taking the opportunity to bare his heart.


      "Tut-tut, has your skill in flattering advanced again?" Yan Zheke said, turning her head aside to hide her smile and glittering eyes.


      "I'm speaking my mind. It's not flattery," Lou Cheng said shamelessly while texting Mo Jingting to ask when she was available to meet for dinner.


      Mo Jingting replied immediately as if she kept the cell phone in hand.


      "Thank you, junior master~ I know you can't leave school during class time and you are going to my vocal concert this Tuesday, so I can't always bother you. Is it okay if I come to your school tomorrow afternoon? Let's have dinner in the cafeteria! It's also a unique meal in Songcheng!"


      "Cafeteria?" Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke exchanged a look because they had never expected Mo Jingting to be so considerate.


      "Will she do something strange?" Lou Cheng frowned while whispering.


      "No, unless she wants to force you to become hostile… " Yan Zheke thought for a while and replied, "It's likely that she wants to show her consideration after attaining her goal."


      Lou Cheng nodded and typed a reply to Mo Jingting, "The quality of our dining hall is lacking. I'm afraid you might get sick and miss your vocal concert."


      He wanted to order a meal in the school restaurant because it was more proper.


      "junior master, I'm healthy and strong, as a Professional Ninth Pin fighter how can I get sick for eating something? Anyway, It's up to you~" Mo Jingting said, in an attempt to make concessions.


      Mo Jingting's acting cute made Yan Zheke feel uncomfortable and regretful for being so polite and broad-minded. She should have Cheng ignore this junior niece completely!


      On the other side, Lou Cheng replied to Mo Jingting dryly, "Okay, text me before you arrive."


      Putting down the cell phone, he exhaled, gave Yan Zheke a wry smile, and said,


      "I felt sick when reading her words. It's too disgusting but I don't know why… Maybe it was the so-called acting cute deliberately and mischievously?"


      Maybe it was because Mo Jingting was a calculating girl in his mind and acting cute didn't suit her.


      "Haha…" Yan Zheke burst out laughing, letting go of the unpleasantness.


      Suddenly, Lou Cheng received two messages from Qiu Zhigao and Qin Mo.


      "Cheng, I'm dropping to my knees in honor of you!"


      "My brother, brother Cheng, I respect you as my brother! Please let me meet Mo Jingting!"




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     324 Mo Jingting“s Enlightened
      "These two funny guys… " Lou Cheng was amused by the messages and replied to Old Qiu first.


      "You shouldn't kneel down in front of me. I have nothing to do with it. (shrugging emoji) Instead, you should kneel down in front of my master, Coach Shi of the Martial Arts Club. He's actually the junior brother of the master of Mo Jingting's master."


      He explained the origin of their relationship with a tongue twister.


      Qiu Zhigao texted him again with a 'blinking eyes' emoji before Lou Cheng could close the dialog box. "Is she, is she as beautiful as she looks on the television?"


      Some popular stars were actually ugly in real life.


      "Do you, a strong man, know how disgusting it is to see you using that emoji with such a soft tone?" Lou Cheng replied with a "vomiting" emoji as they usually did in their dorm. Then he added, "Not too bad, pretty close to her usual appearance."


      Mo Jingting was an energetic young girl in her prime, so she didn't need makeup.


      "What's her real personality like?" Old Qiu continued to ask questions, ignoring what Lou Cheng had just said.


      After thinking for a while, Lou Cheng began typing quickly, "She's quite outgoing."


      Of course, she was also calculating and capable, but Old Qiu didn't need to know that since he wouldn't be in contact with Mo Jingting. It was fine to let Old Qiu's keep his good impression of her.


      Besides, he didn't want to gossip about her, and Old Qiu was not someone Lou Cheng would share all of his thoughts with.


      "So, in reality, she is the same as she is on the television?" Qiu Zhigao replied excitedly.


      Lou Cheng ignored him and closed the dialogue box to check Qin Mo's message. He sent a "giggling" emoji and replied, "As the saying goes, sometimes it's better to admire someone from a distance instead of ruining it by approaching them. Why not hold onto your fantasy, since reality is usually disappointing?"


      He declined Qin Mo's request to meet Mo Jingting. On one hand, it was not polite for him to bring Qin Mo without asking Mo Jingting for permission. On the other hand, he didn't want to owe her a favor for asking her to meet his friends.


      "Could you say something I understand? Do you mean the real Mo Jingting will let me down? Just answer my question, is she as beautiful as she looks on television? Are her eyes still as attractive? Is she still good at acting cute?" Qin Mo asked.



      "These descriptions quite suit her." Lou Cheng said honestly, "But in the other aspects… "


      "I don't care about the other aspects since I have no chance of marrying her! She's just my ideal, so I don't care too much about the other things. It seems I won't be disappointed!" Qin Mo replied with a "despise" emoji.


      "You beast... " Lou Cheng was actually speechless.


      You are not a qualified fan!


      …


      At half past nine that night, after sending Yan Zheke back to her dormitory, Lou Cheng went back to his room in the No.7 dormitory while thinking about his plans for Zheke's birthday.


      Pushing the door open, he saw Qiu Zhigao and Qin Mo sitting on the sofa with the Martial Arts Competition broadcasting on the television.


      "You aren't playing online games?" Lou Cheng was surprised and asked casually.


      Qin Mo gave him a big smile while pushing up his gold-rimmed spectacles. "I felt too tired and hungry to play the game. Cheng, would you like to have a midnight snack with me? Barbecue, it's my treat!"


      Though the cafeteria and restaurants on the campus were all closed at this time, there was a night market nearby and most of the students had a takeaway app on their cell phone. Besides, the new campus area of Songcheng University was separated from the outside with the iron railing instead of the wall, and the lunch box could easily be passed through the railing gap.


      But lunch boxes containing many different items were still too big to be passed through the gap. Once a student ordered some pickled vegetables with fish that counted dozens of yuan, but the restaurant packed it in a super-sized plastic bowl, which brought trouble to the delivery person because it wouldn't fit through the railing gap. That poor student wanted the food so badly he might have tried to eat through the railing like a prisoner.


      Fortunately, the story had a happy ending. That deliveryman was an amateur martial artist and quickly climbed over the railing with the lunch box without even spilling a drop of the soup. From then on, all the students learned a good lesson, it was good for them to know martial arts!


      "No, eating this late would affect the quality of sleep." Lou Cheng refused politely.


      "Okay, we're going to eat while you stay in the dorm," Qiu Zhigao said and smiled, "I've fetched some hot water for you so you won't need to do it yourself."


      "Don't act like this. You must want something from me!" Lou Cheng questioned him jokingly instead of replying politely.


      "I just want to share the honor of the junior master." Qin Mo joked.


      "Cheng, I don't want you to do anything difficult. Just ask her for some autographs." Old Qiu begged shamelessly.


      "Okay, okay, if I get the opportunity," Lou Cheng said, and then shook his head, feeling it ridiculous.


      I'm also a famous Weibo user, why don't you fawn over me!


      …


      After Lou Cheng finished his lessons the next afternoon, he received a message from Mo Jingting.


      "Junior master, I'm on the bus heading to your school~"


      "Okay, we will meet you at the bus station." Lou Cheng replied, stressing the word "we" and immediately telling Yan Zheke.


      Yan Zheke replied with a lovely-sitting emoji. "I'm now in my dorm getting dressed. Just come and wait for me outside of the building."


      "What? Why not ask me to wait on the Long Bridge?" Lou Cheng found it interesting and soon replied, "Okay!"


      It seems that Ke takes it seriously if she even went back to dress up…


      Er, she once said that girls would always take it more seriously when they were going to see the other girls…


      After more than twenty minutes, Lou Cheng, who was waiting outside of the No.3 dormitory finally saw his fairy.


      Yan Zheke put on simple make-up this time and dressed like a gentle and delicate girl. Lou Cheng immediately lost himself in her elegant and refined beauty.


      "What are you staring at? Let's go." Yan Zheke complained softly.


      Turning his gaze, Lou Cheng took the girl's hand in his and smiled while saying, "I'm staring at my fairy~"


      Though he saw Zheke every day, he was still stunned by her beauty just now. What a pity that she seldom takes their dates seriously.


      "Hum!" Yan Zheke turned her gaze up while lifting the corners of her mouth without saying anything.


      On the way to the bus station, there were many people attracted by Yan Zheke and even the winter dusk was lit up by her gorgeous appearance.


      Not long after they arrived at the bus station, they saw Mo Jingting getting off a bus.


      She was wearing sunglasses that covered almost half of her face, which made her noticeable at sunset. She seemed to have spent time dressing up, stressing her tall figure, long legs, and plump lips that were sparkling like rubies.


      Mo Jingting noticed Yan Zheke before getting off the bus and was also stunned by Yan Zheke's beauty, even though Mo Jingting was also a girl.


      Compared with Mo Jingting, Yan Zheke behaved much more calmly since she had seen Mo Jingting dressed up on television many times in the past. She only felt a little jealous of Mo Jingting's height while greeting her with a polite smile.


      When the two girls made eye contact, Lou Cheng felt as if he could see sparks flying out in all directions.


      "Let's go to the restaurant first. This isn't a good place to chat." He took a step forward and said.


      The passing students watched as Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke walked by, hand in hand, while Mo Jingting was following them behind, looking at their hands.


      After seating themselves in a box in the Academy Cafeteria, they waited for the dishes to be served. Mo Jingting took off her sunglass and looked at the couple in front of her with her misty eyes, which were always filled with emotions. "Junior master's girlfriend is so beautiful. No wonder he never spares a look for other girls. What should I call you? Junior aunt? It sounds like a middle-aged woman."


      "Yan Zheke, just call me Zheke," said Zheke, smiling gently to show her dimples.


      "Are you a disciple of Shushan Study?" Mo Jingting asked curiously while supporting her chin with one hand.


      "I am, but how did you know?" Yan Zheke said, surprised.


      My surname is Yan and my birthplace in the household register is Xiushan. Though I'm able to use Yin-yang Twist, no one could identify it. Has she investigated my data in school? But it should still be hard for her to associate me with Shushan Study.


      Mo Jingting glanced over at Lou Cheng with a smile and said, "Junior master mentioned something about you."


      "I didn't mention anything!" Lou Cheng blurted out to clarify it before Yan Zheke turned her gaze toward him.


      "Normally people would think about whether they have said it before defending themselves. Junior master's reaction was quite unexpected!" Mo Jingting noticed the situation was slipping out of her control.


      "Are you sure you didn't mention it? Maybe you just forgot?" Yan Zheke looked at her boyfriend with her lips tilted.


      Lou Cheng coughed and said, "It was my master. Our conversation at the time left a deep impression on me and I suddenly recall it. He said I need not join Wuyue Club since he would be even happier to see me be a special coach in Longhu Club or marry into Shushan Study."


      He repeated Geezer Shi's words deliberately to amuse his fairy.


      "Haha… marry into Shushan Study… it sounds like you are going to marry my brother… " Yan Zheke burst out laughing with a flush face and watery eyes. She had intended to make a joke and change the topic, but the new topic seemed to be more interesting. She even began trembling from the humor.


      So funny!


      While Yan Zheke and Lou Cheng began showing off their relationship, totally ignoring Mo Jingting, the latter picked up the teacup to take a drink, feeling a little miserable.


      "I should not have come here…" She thought helplessly. She realized at the same time that she had done something wrong, and that was why Lou Cheng was being distant.


      They were passionately in love and no one else was able to disturb them. Her flirting with Lou Cheng could only make him unhappy. The more she fawned over him, the more he would avoid her…


      She should have tried simpler methods since she didn't really want to flirt with Lou Cheng. It might be better for her to really be his junior niece…


      Having changed her mind, Mo Jingting immediately changed her attitude and began talking with Yan Zheke actively instead of focusing on Lou Cheng.


      Though Mo Jingting might still be more immature and less rational than Yan Zheke, she had still spent several years in showbiz. So she had a lot of experience as a social butterfly. When she switched topics to the other stars' secrets, both Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke let down their guards a little and began listening to her. Finally, the dinner ended in harmony.


      This was gossip from a star instead of an entertainment journalist!


      Everyone likes to gossip to some extent!


      "I can't believe they told everyone his secret… " Yan Zheke was astonished by what she just heard about a certain male star.


      "Bisexuals are quite normal in showbiz, and we are even used to the dirty deeds. You'll seem like an alien if you get excited over everything," Mo Jingting said while sighing with emotion, "If I didn't have a sect background from an influential sect, I might have joined in their evil deeds while under such a pressure."


      She dared not to ask for a promise from Lou Cheng but she kept looking at the two in front eagerly, hoping what she said would leave an impression on them. If she ran into trouble someday, she might be able to ask her junior uncle for help once he reached high-ranked Dan Stage or even reached Physical Invulnerability and possessed a powerful voice in the Sect.


      As expected, Lou Cheng only sighed at the chaos in the showbiz instead of making any promises casually.


      Tidying up her mood, Mo Jingting went on talking about something interesting while suffering through the couple's romance.


      When they were about to leave, she took several tickets out of her purse and gave them to Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke.


      "Junior master, Zheke, these are VIP tickets to my vocal concert… "


      Covering her smile with one hand, she added to explain, "You are not in our circle and might feel uncomfortable being in the area for special guests, besides, you wouldn't get to enjoy your date there. So I decided to give you some good seats instead."


      "Thank you. Two tickets are enough for us since the others already have their own." Lou Cheng said politely.


      "Junior master, you are my elder and needn't say thank you to me." Mo Jingting said jokingly, "The others? Are some of your friends my fans?"


      "Quite a lot." Lou Cheng said, taking the opportunity to ask for Mo Jingting's signature for Old Qiu and Qin Mo.


      Smiling happily, Mo Jingting took out her memo pad, tore off two sheets of paper, and signed them for Qin Mo and Qiu Zhigao.


      "It's much more beautiful than your signature~" Yan Zheke teased Lou Cheng.


      "I'm not relying on it to make a living." Lou Cheng replied with a smile and called a waiter to compute the bill after Mo Jingting had put on another pair of glasses.


      After sending this big star, who had changed her attitude, to the school bus and waving her off, Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke exchanged a look and sighed in relief.


      "It's more tiring than a match~" Yan Zheke said and sighed from exhaustion.


      The secret war between two girls…


      "Shall I knead your temples?" Lou Cheng suggested with a smile, "She learned to behave herself in front of you, so it's good."


      "Yeah, she's a clever girl… " Yan Zheke replied and nodded to herself.


      After chatting for a while, they moved to a nearby bench. When Yan Zheke took out several tissues, Lou Cheng took them and wiped the bench surface like it was second nature.


      "How many tickets in total?" Yan Zheke asked casually.


      While kneading her temples, Lou Cheng thought for a while and then answered, "Four. Two for us and two extra. Ask your roommates if they want to go to the concert? Both Old Qiu and The Beast already have tickets."


      "Okay." Yan Zheke took out her cell phone to call Li Liantong and others.


      Li Liantong said she wanted to go but she had an important lesson Tuesday evening, and so did Shi Xiangyang. Thus they missed the chance to attend the first day's vocal concert.


      As for Zong Yanru, she disliked Mo Jingting and didn't want to go to the concert.


      "None of them are coming… Just give them to Old Qiu and Qin Mo since these seats should be better than theirs, or maybe you can give the tickets to Talker?" Yan Zheke suggested.


      "Okay." Lou Cheng began imagining Old Qiu's expression of gratitude.


      …


      On the school bus, Mo Jingting withdrew her smile and calmed down, losing herself in thought.


      She searched for Yan Zheke's name using her cell phone and then asked one of her friends in the martial arts circle, "Do you know which elder in Shushan Study is Yan Zheke's master?"


      "Yan Zheke? Yan? I've never heard of that surname in Shushan Study. I'll ask around… " That friend also knew little about it.


      After several minutes, he replied in a serious tone, "She was the granddaughter of two grandmasters in Shushan Study, Ji Jianzhang, the Heaven Leaning Sword, and Dou Ning, the Seven Star."


      "Heaven Leaning Sword"? "Seven Star"? Mo Jingting couldn't stop her wrist from trembling and dropped the cell phone.


      …


      After taking a walk along the lakeside, Lou Cheng brought Yan Zheke back to her No.3 dormitory and then came back to his own dorm in a good mood. Qin Mo and Old Qiu were in the room discussing the vocal concert tomorrow night.


      "Here you are, the signatures you wanted," Lou Cheng said, smiling while giving them the two sheets of paper.


      "Signature?" Old Qiu took the paper and was immediately stunned, "You got Jingting's signature so quickly?"


      Qin Mo was able to read between the lines, getting even more surprised he asked, "You met her?"


      Otherwise, you couldn't get her signature on such short notice.


      "She's my martial niece and I should treat her since she came to Songcheng. Ke and I just had dinner with her." Lou Cheng replied frankly.


      "Brother Cheng, how could you forget to bring me?" Qin Mo pretended to be depressed while Qiu Zhigao's facial expression was also a mixture of surprise and regret.


      I had a chance to meet my goddess and I missed it!


      "She didn't want to be bothered." Lou Cheng naturally blamed Mo Jingting and then took the opportunity to give them the remaining two VIP tickets. "She sent the tickets to me. Just take them since the seats are better than yours."


      "Well, well, I'll not stand on ceremony! I owe you a kowtow!" Qiu Zhigao said and took the ticket without hesitation.


      Qin Mo was also overjoyed but soon turned angry. "I wouldn't have been extorted by that ticket scalper if I knew it earlier! Do you know how much he asked for the ticket? Do you know how much?"


      It was not because of the money but a point of honor!


      "I don't want to know how much." Lou Cheng said, and then burst out laughing, "Maybe you can give your original tickets to Talker and Qiang if they want to go."


      …


      Tuesday soon came. At dusk, Lou Cheng got a certificate under the name of his club and bought bus tickets to their old campus. Then he left for Mo Jingting's vocal concert with Yan Zheke, Qiu Zhigao, Qin Mo, Zhao Qiang and Cai Zongming.


      "Skipping class is a rare experience… " Yan Zheke sighed with both regret and excitement while watching the school buildings disappear outside the bus window.


      She was corrupted by Cheng!


      Lou Cheng leaned over to put his arms around Yan Zheke's waist. "The teacher will definitely discover you skipped class." he told her deliberately, "Everyone including the teacher will notice the missing beauty in the classroom. But the teacher may not remember me since I'm plain looking."


      It's the disadvantage of beauty!


      "You!" Yan Zheke hit him softly, "I'm not stupid~ I've already asked for leave, so you don't need to worry about it, thank you!"


      Ru helped her ask for leave and she believed the teacher would allow it since she wasn't skipping a professional lesson.


      It was the advantage of beauty!


      …


      There were many people waiting outside Songcheng Martial Arts Gymnasium, including the peddlers selling tickets, flowers, and light sticks.


      It was the second time Yan Zheke went to a concert, so she was still excited. While looking around and walking up and down, she acted like a child who was eager to stop and visit every stand.


      "Cheng, Cheng, let's buy some light sticks. We should wave them during the concert."


      "Cheng, Cheng, that pie looks delicious."


      "Cheng, Cheng, just follow me. I won't bother to look for you if you get lost!"


      …


      Looking at Yan Zheke with a big smile, Lou Cheng took her swinging hand in his and tried all the different kinds of junk food with her.


      It was not the concert but their date that was important!


      When it was time for them to enter the gymnasium, a flower boy approached them and yelled, "Brother, brother, buy a bunch of flowers for her, she's so beautiful!"


      Lou Cheng was immediately moved by his words and intended to buy some flowers.


      Yan Zheke pursed her lips and turned over her hands to grasp Lou Cheng's wrist.


      "Don't do this. I don't like flowers and we'd better hurry to enter the gymnasium. Let's go over there~"


      Lou Cheng gave up taking out his wallet because of coach Yan's persistence. When they rushed forward and left the flower boy behind, he whispered, "What's wrong with that? Though the flowers were a little expensive, what he said was right. You are so beautiful and deserve to be decorated with flowers."


      Yan Zheke explained while puffing out her cheeks.


      "You men are all vain creatures who want to show off your money in front of women and regard yourselves as real heroes. Those flower sellers are just taking advantage of it… Hum, I don't like seeing someone take you for a fool!"


      She was acting like a female tiger protecting her kids, which warmed Lou Cheng's heart and widened his smiling mouth.


      Mo Jingting kept behaving herself during the vocal concert, acting as good as she could as a singer. Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke were familiar with quite a lot of her songs and would sing to her occasionally while waving their light sticks. They even made some videos as souvenirs.


      They were enjoying themselves.


      "Hey, your face seems larger and my face seems smaller when we take photos together~" Yan Zheke said as they left the gymnasium. Yan Zheke was reviewing the photos they took just now while breathing the cold air at night.


      "Your face is originally small." Lou Cheng covered Yan Zheke's face with his hand for comparison.


      Looking around, he coughed and said,


      "It's late and we've already missed the last bus. Old Qiu said they are going to sleep at Qin Mo's home tonight."


      Shall we also stay outside school tonight?


      He had been considering and expecting this since they decided to come to the vocal concert…


      "Yeah." Yan Zheke nodded like a chick picking grain, "Let's order a special car online."


      "What? What an unexpected answer it is?" Lou Cheng was stunned.


      Ke, your answer didn't make any sense!


      "What's wrong with you? There's still enough time for us to get back to school before lights out." Yan Zheke blinked her clear eyes with a naive expression.


      "O, Okay." Lou Cheng put a stop to all his distracting thoughts and began finding a special car online. Actually, he was complaining in his mind.


      I hate online car-hailing!


      Though there are many people waiting for taxis after the concert, and though Lou Cheng was praying that no taxi driver would answer his order and ruin his night, coach Yan was a lucky girl and a driver took their order after several minutes.


      He would make more money this time since the school campus area of Songcheng University was far away!


      "What shall we do? I'm so excited imagining us climbing over the school wall~" While waiting for the taxi, Yan Zheke put both hands in Lou Cheng's and smiled excitedly.


      I haven't done something like this before!


      Looking at her flushing cheeks and blinking eyes, Lou Cheng immediately forgot all the depression and replied with a smile,


      "We're the Naughty Duo!"


      It seemed to be quite interesting, teaching his fairy to be a little mischievous.


      …


      There was no rush hour at night and the taxi stopped half an hour later. In the moonlight, Lou Cheng led Yan Zheke while they searched for the camera's blind angle.


      He laughed in front of the tall railing and then said,


      "I'll climb up first and then pull you up."


      "Okay!" Yan Zheke nodded seriously with glittering eyes.


      Supporting his body with one hand and gathering strength to both feet, he suddenly jumped up and landed on top of the railing steadily.


      Then he bent to grasp Yan Zheke's hands and pulled her as she jumped towards him.


      Yang Zheke felt her bodying flying in the air for a short moment before landing on the railing, which made her eyes brighten.


      "It's so much fun~!"


      She began walking back and forth on the railing while balancing herself with both arms, seemingly shaky but actually steady.


      Lou Cheng followed her with one hand in his pocket. He stared at her beautiful back and black hair, which was glittering in the moonlight, greedily trying to capture this moment in his mind forever.


      Then he stepped heavily on the railing with a smile.


      On the other side, Yan Zheke was about to take another step forward when the railing shook suddenly making her immediately lose balance.


      Instead of screaming out of fear, she activated her backbone and strengthened her muscles unconsciously, intending to straighten herself.


      At this moment, an arm appeared around her waist and pulled her back without much effort. Then she felt a familiar chest.


      "You are always up to mischief… " Yan Zheke replied. After realizing what had happened, she hit Lou Cheng out of anger, joy, and excitement.


      Before she could finish speaking, she was kissed by Lou Cheng, warmly and tenderly.


      Taking a glance at the ground below, Yan Zheke slowly closed her eyes and hugged Lou Cheng while telling herself it was a dream and she could do anything she wanted.


      A passing cloud blocked the moon temporarily.


      …


      Approaching her dorm at a brisk pace, Yan Zheke stopped outside the door to check if her face was still flush before entering the room.


      "Ke, why do you come back?" Li Liantong turned to look at her in surprise.


      "Why can't I come back?" Yan Zheke looked at her dumbfounded.


      "You must have missed the last bus after the vocal concert. Hey hey, at this time, a man would suggest relaxing in a nearby hotel and going back to school the next day. Then, he would order two rooms at first but finally remain in the girl's room shamelessly. He usually says he won't do anything except sleep with you in his arms… 'I'll just touch you but won't do anything else… '" Li Liantong's topic started turning dirty.


      "Stop!" Yan Zheke interrupted her with flushed face, "Can't you be more innocent?"


      She suddenly realized that Lou Cheng mentioned Old Qiu's sleeping outside school deliberately.


      He, he wanted me to stay outside?


      No wonder his reaction was strange then…


      Li Liantong went on to ask her jokingly, "Didn't your Cheng try? I can't believe it!"


      "He, he just said there was no bus." Yan Zheke replied in embarrassment.


      "What? Then how did you reply?" Li Liantong and Shi Xiangyang both asked with great interest.


      "I said, I said, Let's order a special car… " Yan Zheke replied and then turned her gaze aside.


      "Order a special car, ha ha ha, what a perfect answer, I admire you so much!" The three listeners all burst out laughing while smacking the bed and table.


      Yan Zheke felt even more embarrassed because of their laughter and began gnashing her teeth secretly.


      I didn't notice the implied meaning in his words!


      I just wanted to offer a convenient solution!


      Hum, I must have been infected by Cheng and become a stupid Ke!




     You are reading
     Martial Arts Master
      ebook which is a free download at
     wWw.EbookUpdates.Net
     .


     Download more ebooks for free at
     EbookUpdates.Net
     .


     325 An Episode
      In the dorm, Lou Cheng got himself cleaned and lay down on the bed. Staring at the ceiling, he was actually recalling the scene of Yan Zheke balancing herself on the railing and her complicated expression after doing so. The soft moonlight and her hot response were still echoing in his mind like a poem.


      It felt good even though he failed to get Zheke to stay with him in a hotel for the night.


      What looked like a bad ending might turn out to be good!


      What a pity that he was absolutely fascinated and forgot to take some photos.


      Besides Lou Cheng, Zhang Jinye was also in the dorm, typing and checking code on his computer, while Zhao Qiang and Qiu Zhigao were sleeping at Qin Mo's home. Lou Cheng could only hear the sound of typing echoing in the quiet room.


      After expressing his sorrow to coach Yan for forgetting to record her anecdote with the camera, Lou Cheng logged on the forums, intending to write something.


      Even though he suggested staying outside the school with Zheke yesterday night, it could be seen from Zheke's expression and reaction that she actually didn't understand his intention.


      Shall I post a question online, like, "What's a good way to make suggestions to my girlfriend?"


      Or should I insinuate what I want in another way? After all, I'm not shameless enough as to say it directly…


      After thinking for a while, Lou Cheng made a post.


      "Should I be thankful for our school's closed-off management or hate it?"


      After clicking to submit the post, he suddenly remembered he has hundreds and thousands of followers now instead of just Zheke!


      Damn it, I'm a famous Weibo user now, but I always forget it!


      Reading what he wrote carefully and finding no sensitive content in it, he decided not to delete it out of laziness. Besides, he enjoyed interacting with his girlfriend this way to show off their relationship in public! Why should he care about what other people think?


      After withdrawing all his thoughts, he turned to QQ and pretended to ask Yan Zheke casually,


      "I've just posted on Weibo."


      "Did you write about my awful deeds in it… " Yan Zheke replied with a looking dumb emoji. Though she also regretted that Lou Cheng hadn't recorded her naughty moment, she wasn't that depressed since there were so many regrets in life and the best way to remember something was to record them in your mind.



      Lou Cheng sent a laughing to tears emoji, "How could I write that? I know you don't like to show off our romance in front of others."


      "Let elder sister fondle your head, what a considerate boy~!" Yan Zheke sent with a grinning emoji, "I'll go to see what you wrote~"


      Clicking to open the Weibo and refreshing the page, she soon found Lou Cheng's post.


      "What… What is this Lothario suggesting!" Yan Zheke turned over on her bed with the cell phone in her hands, complaining about Cheng secretly.


      I wouldn't have noticed his attempt if Dirty Tong hadn't explained it to me!


      "Hum!" Yan Zheke rolled her eyes and commented on the post while gnashing her teeth.


      Lou Cheng also refreshed the page and found comments and forwards were increasing. It seemed others were quite interested in this topic.


      "You won't ask this question when you've experienced the sheep grazing management. It's so cool!"


      "Even without closed-off management, you would suffer from dormitory-locking, network-cutting, and all lights out in time. You amateurs still have a long way to go and don't bother to care about the details."


      "Thinking back to the old days when our school adopted the closed-off management, I broke my hand climbing over the wall to a nearby internet bar… Damn it, I've exposed my real age… "


      After going through several comments, he found a familiar ID, "Shu Rui of Songcheng Television" commented with a "laughing while covering one's mouth" emoji, "Shall I report it as big news? I'll title it 'What A Shock! Martial Arts Club Leading Player Complains About the School Management Rules!'"


      It took Lou Cheng great effort to hold back his laughter as he replied to Shu Rui, "This title won't draw enough attention, you should say 'What A Shock! Closed-Off Management Evokes Student's Dark Side!'"


      Then he browsed the pages quickly, skipping the other comments until he found his fairy's reply.


      Within minutes he saw "Swordsman Dislikes Drinking" replied with a dog emoji,


      "What're you talking about? How come I don't understand?"


      "Well, she seems to have noticed what I meant… " Lou Cheng smiled. When he was about to say something on QQ, Ke sent a "laughing while pounding the table" emoji. "There are a lot of funny comments under your post. Hurry up, take a look~"


      "I'm…" Lou Cheng switched back to Weibo, beginning to check the comments he had skipped.


      "Unparalleled Dragon King" said, "Does the closed-off management make any difference considering your kung-fu?"


      "Of course, there's a big difference… A bachelor wouldn't understand…" Lou Cheng complained in his mind and went on checking the other replies.


      He knew Unparalleled Dragon King was a martial arts addict and indoors man, who hadn't gotten a girlfriend yet even though he had spent several years abroad to further his education.


      "Brahman 001" said, "A day-student in junior high doesn't know what you mean… "


      "Eternal Nightfall" commented with a "smiling through tears" emoji, "It doesn't make any difference to me. I only get out of bed for class time or to answer the call of nature!"


      There had already been dozens of comments with several familiar IDs.


      "Our school also adopted the closed-off management at the same time as cutting off both electricity and the network signal. In order to watch a foreign Martial Arts Competition broadcasting, we tried every method. Finally, we got a TV signal in the aisle. Maybe we were too excited and noisy, and thus annoyed those in the other dorms, they came out to punish us but quickly retreated when they saw dozens of half-naked men… Your words reminded me of it and I want to apologize to them… "


      "Haha, I've also fooled around in my dorm after lights out. But the guy sleeping above me came down and gave me a good beating."


      "Why do you say it in a casual tone? Aren't you angry? What happened afterward?"


      "Afterwards, (shy emoji) we got together."


      "Haha…" Lou Cheng burst out laughing.


      He must be telling a joke!


      Going on to look through the comments, Lou Cheng found quite a lot of funny ones and felt a little worried while laughing happily.


      Am I going to be a crosstalk comedian in the martial arts circle and a warrior in the crosstalk circle?


      Gradually, Lou Cheng felt sleepy in the happy atmosphere. After saying goodnight to Yan Zheke, he went to sleep in time without making any dreams.


      …


      The next morning, when Lou Cheng was running to improve his endurance after morning exercise, he jumped over the fence on a whim and rushed to the nearby market, where he bought the Brother Dong deep-fried twisted dough sticks and soup dumplings with soybean milk that Zhang Jingye and his girlfriend praised profusely.


      The moment he handed the breakfast to Yan Zheke, she was so surprised that all she could do was blink with a joyful expression.


      When they finished breakfast and went to the martial arts gymnasium, hand in hand, they found Cai Zongming already there, yawning.


      "Didn't you sleep well last night? Or maybe you couldn't sleep in an unfamiliar bed?" Lou Cheng asked jokingly.


      At this time, Yan Zheke went into the female locker room with her personal belongings.


      Cai Zongming shook his head and said, "I had a nightmare and woke up with a start. After that, I couldn't fall asleep again."


      "What kind of nightmare?" Lou Cheng asked with interest.


      Cai Zongming hadn't recovered from the nightmare yet. "I dreamed about being the first one to fight in the arena. I was so happy and made a great speech during the talk time, but the one on the other side didn't even spare a glance at me, which made me so angry. When I took a close look at him, I found the speechless fighter, my opponent this time, was Lin Que! Damn it!


      "I encountered Lin Que during the talk time, it was horrible! Horrible!"


      Lou Cheng was stunned for a while and then adjusted his facial expression while asking,


      "Talker, do you think I'll sympathize with you? Actually, I want to laugh since your nightmare was so funny!"


      "You can't understand that fear." Cai Zongming shook one finger in front of him.


      When Lou Cheng was about to continue teasing him, Lin Que entered the room and there was instantly a chill in the air.


      …


      Peaceful days soon past and it came to Friday. The opponent in December 1st's group competition was so weak that Lou Cheng didn't need to fight against them himself, so he devoted himself to practicing and cultivating with full strength instead of having reservations for the competition.


      When the match came to its end, Geezer Shi coughed to clear his throat and said,


      "You bum-boy, do you have anything to do tonight? If you do have anything, cancel it."


      "No, master, what do you need me to do?" Lou Cheng asked curiously.


      On his schedule this semester, only Friday and Saturday night, as well as Saturday and Sunday afternoon, were left empty — the special training took up all his mornings.


      Yan Zheke's schedule packed even more than his because she still had professional lessons Friday night. Since all the students were from the same class, it was difficult for Lou Cheng to mingle with them.


      Geezer Shi coughed and then continued,


      "My old friends made some headway in their research work on Longhu Immortal's remains and found many belongings related to Cultivation. So they are planning to explore the Longhu District near Zhaoshan Lake for more useful tracks. Come with me to get more access to it and see if there is anything to gain. All the dangerous things have already been cleaned there, so don't worry."


      Since he was found out Geezer Shi was suffering from old injuries that affected his lifespan, Lou Cheng had been thinking about ways to cure his master and wondering if there was any headway in the research work, so he replied without hesitation,


      "Sure!"


      Geezer Shi nodded slightly and said,


      "Listen to them carefully, talk as little as possible, and never cut in unless it's necessary. There's a hot-tempered old guy there. Of course, I'm not afraid of him, but I don't want to waste time on him."


      "Yes, master," said Lou Cheng. Keeping Old Shi's warning in mind, he decided to be a mute following his master the whole night unless the other elders asked him something.




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     326 Urban Legend Part One
      At night fall, Lou Cheng stayed with Yan Zheke until the class ring belt. Then he returned to the faculty's apartment and spent some time there. His mater finally came.


      "Let's move. They will arrive at Zhaoshan Lake any minute." Geezer Shi wagged his head as if he was just awake.


      "How?" Lou Cheng murmured unconsciously.


      He guessed that Mighty Ones of physical invulnerability would march differently than average fighters do.


      Geezer Shi stared at him. "They ran. You have good stamina, don't you?"


      "If you say so... " Lou Cheng looked distracted, thinking of running over there.


      Zhaoshan Lake was far from here, but it was OK...


      Lou's irresolute expression made Geezer Shi impatient, and Shi said, "What were you thinking? Hail a special car now! You have a strong physique, but I am too old for the run!"


      "Hail a special car..." Lou Cheng looked up at the sky, picked out his mobile phone and opened the hailing APP.


      Is that the way how a Mighty One of physical invulnerability supposed to march?


      Later, the master and his apprentice left the campus and got on the special car.


      "To Zhaoshan Lake? Now?" Asked the taxi driver, restlessly.


      For Zhaoshan Lake was a tourist spot, no visitor would take a tour there after sunset.


      At the moment, the image of drivers killed by passengers in the middle of nowhere flashed before the driver's eyes. Shaking with fear, he regretted that he took the order.


      If it were not on my way home, I would never take the order!


      He set up the GPS, turned off the distant lights and quietly took a photo of two passengers on the back seat. He decided to send it to his wife and told her that if anything happened to him, the passengers were the suspects!


      After sending the message, the driver switched to the GPS. He did not even take a closer look at the picture he just took.



      As sensitive as Lou Cheng, he had already noticed the driver's abnormal behavior yet Lou could not care less. Funny.


      He saw his master closed his eyes and rested. So he followed his master and tried to keep in a top form.


      It was a silent journey. When the special car arrived at Zhaoshan Lake, Lou Cheng opened his eyes, seeing a scenic lake reflecting the moonlight. In contrast to daytime, the dusky and tranquil surroundings would make people lost in meditation.


      In the middle of the lake, there was an isle, lying as a behemoth.


      "Thank you." Lou Cheng showed civility and got off the special car.


      Geezer Shi shut the door as he got out of the car. The driver finally felt some relief as if he was set free.


      The driver waved his hand to Lou Cheng and Geezer Shi. And then he pulled the stick, backed his car, spun the steering wheel and rushed to leave.


      The taxi-hailing APP rang a belt on Lou Cheng's phone when the deal was done. Lou Cheng and Geezer Shi went to the shore of the lake.


      "Master, where are they?" Lou Cheng looked around and found no one.


      "On the isle... " Geezer Shi clutched Lou's shoulder and they leaped forward to the lake together.


      "No! I have not taken a change of clothes!"  Lou Cheng popped up with this weird idea. He thought he was about to fall into water, but he felt something hard under his feet as if he was on the ground.


      He took a quick look down. It was something glittering and translucent under the feet.


      Within a radius of tens of centimeters, the water was frozen under the master's feet.


      "Let's go." Geezer Shi lifted Lou Cheng's shoulder to avoid too much pressure on the ice.


      As they moved along, the water was frozen all the way as a narrow path to the isle.


      The driver drove for about dozens of meters. After he calmed down, a shadow of doubt fell on his mind.


      What is the nature of the old and the young's visit to Zhaoshan Lake?


      Fishing? They carried no fishing gear.


      Are they looking for someone? They were not heading to the living area.


      The driver was so confused that he could not help looking at the rearview mirror. The passengers have disappeared!


      Disappeared? He shivered with fear, put on the brakes and pulled over. He rolled down the window and craned forward to take a look at the shore.


      The bright ripples spread under the moonlight. Two receding figures were walking on the water and then disappeared.


      "Oh, my..." the driver broke out in a cold sweat. He jumped into his car, rolled up the window with heart speeding up.


      At that point, his cell phone rang. The call was from his wife.


      "Yes... " He answered with panting.


      His wife asked in confusion, "What is wrong with the picture you sent me? Are you OK? I just crooned the baby to sleep and read your message."


      "Something wrong?" The driver blurted out, with his flesh creeping.


      "You asked me to remember those two passengers but there is no one in the picture!" His wife felt puzzled.


      The driver dropped his phone by the brake.


      He picked up his phone in shock and hanged up. And then he checked the picture he sent to his wife earlier and all he could see was a hazy and empty view. There was no passenger at all!


      Pop!


      His phone dropped again.


      He was too scared to pick up his phone. The driver started the taxi as if he was running for his life.


      This was sheer nonsense!


      Oh, my Gosh!


      I will never make fun of my wife' superstitious beliefs!


      He almost had a nervous breakdown and overturned his car into the ditch several times. Fortunately the road conditions were good and he lived nearby. Finally he arrived at his community safe and sound, yet backed his car for a while and left it crooked.


      He ran wildly home. The first thing he said to his wife was:


      "Hurry, put up the portrait of the Primeval Lord of Heaven(Yuanshi Tianzun) in our bedroom, now!"


      …


      On the isle, Lou Cheng followed Geezer Shi to a steep cliff, finding two figures standing there.


      "Just two of you?" Geezer Shi raised his eyebrows, picked out his flask and sipped.


      One of them was in middle age, with deep eye sockets, a tall nose, and a few silver hairs. It seemed that there were blaze gleaming behind his sharp eyes.


      He answered in a cold tone, "It's no big deal. Two of us would be enough."


      Geezer Shi introduced him to Lou Cheng. "This old guy is just like me, nameless, wandering from place to place. He had high aspirations when he was young, mixing several tricks of Plague Sect into Fire Sect. He named himself Star of Evil Flame after Star of Virtuous Flame. Since he had no idea what Virtuous Flame means, he then changed the title into Divine Enchanter of Sin Flame."


      "Master! You have just warned me that do not provoke that fellow due to his bad temperament."  Lou Cheng was frightened by master's satire. He saluted to that man and addressing him as senior.


      Divine Enchanter of Sin Flame said nothing. It seemed that he had got used to Geezer Shi's teasing.


      Geezer Shi stopped provoking and turned to another figure. "There is no need to introduce. You should have known her."


      Of course! She was the Mighty One with a world-renowned reputation for thirty years — Queen of Thought! Lou Cheng suppressed his excitement and saluted.


      "My pleasure, Madam Fei."


      Queen of Thought, Fei Dan was already past fifty. She was one of the most active fighters of physical invulnerability. She was equally famous as Dao Jian Wu Qiao, the lord of Shushan Study. So far, she had won twenty titles, the most famous one of which was Queen of Thought (or King of Thought). In recent years, although her martial skills attained perfection, her strength was waning. She lost most of the battles between her and Dragon King or Warrior Sage.


      Besides, she actually ran the Xinghai Club which was a mysterious organization with members specified in varied martial arts skills, including a part of skills of Water Sect, the Ground Divine Skill out of Fighting Sect, and Tai Chi, which is derived from Restriction Sect of Taoist School.


      Less than 170 cm tall, Fei Dan looked like in her thirties by her elegant appearance. After Lou Cheng saluted, she smiled. "Young man, would you like to join Xinghai Club after graduation?"


      Lou Cheng blushed with fear, not knowing what to respond.


      "Oh." Geezer Shi jumped in. "Stop seducing him. He worships Dragon King and his wife is from Shushan Study. You Xinghai Club had no chance. Let me tell you something, son, she looks educated and reasonable now, but she was of a bad temper before... "


      "Can you shut your mouth?" Fei Dan, Queen of Thought shook her head and interrupted, "Let's move down."


      As she spoke, she shone out with brilliancy, forming a sphere in which everyone was enclosed.


      Lou Cheng was curious. The sphere was so transparent as it was made of liquid film.


      "Jump." Fei Dan's voice entered his ears.


      Lou Cheng hesitated no more, falling from the cliff.


      The crystal ball was swaying lightly and landed on the water and sank.


      It was getting dark under the water. Lou Cheng looked around and could not believe that he was under the water of Zhaoshan Lake.


      He breathed just fine, bearing no water pressure or humidity!


      Falling for a while, his feet contacted to earth. They have arrived at the bottom of the lake.


      Queen of Thought, Divine Enchanter of Sin Flame, Geezer Shi were familiar with the place and travelled around the bottom of isle and they found a gap on the rock, like a crack between a door and its frame.


      Lou Cheng obeyed his master's guidance: observe more and talk less. He remained silence.


      At the moment, Divine Enchanter of Sin Flame discharged a green blaze from his wrist, piercing through the water ball and reached the crack and there emerged a stretch of flames.


      Suddenly, a clap of thunder came, and the isle started to shake. The crack broadened and drew back.


      It was literally a crack in the door!


      The door opened. A stone stair lay in front of them. It seemed an invisible barrier held the water from swarming in.


      The water ball was glistening, and floated into the abodes of fairies and immortals, and then disintegrated into bubbles.


      Lou Cheng looked right and left, breathing freely. The air inside was fresh and cool, and he even felt a faint breeze.


      Lou Cheng pulled himself together, following his master and others, stepping up on the stair. Meanwhile he paid attention to his Jindan, wondering if it would change in its original abode.




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     327 Nine Words Formula Part Two
      They climbed up the stairs and entered the hall. Upon entering, Lou Cheng had a panoramic view of the Cultivator's Den.


      There was a Dan room, a study, a meditation room, and a living room in the den. It was small, but it still had everything a cultivator would need. Even the wall seemed to shimmer, barely lighting the interior.


      Looking around such a cool and dusky den, Lou Cheng shivered and recalled the layout of tombs he had seen in an archaeological documentary. This place seemed like a former residence, but it was now cut off from the outside world.


      Geezer Shi coughed to clear his throat and then said, as if he guessed what Lou Cheng's was thinking, "I have no idea why cultivators select sites under lakes or in caves to build their dens, that end up like a tomb. We are basically in a coffin now."


      "That is not true. The owner filtered through the sunshine and moonlight so the room was naturally lit in the daytime and became darker at night!" Fei Dan, Queen of Thought, replied and smiled.


      They had already visited and searched before. Now they were here for only one reason. While talking, they entered the meditation room.


      From what Divine Enchanter of Sin Flame and Queen of Thought said, Lou Cheng basically understood the difference between Cultivation and martial arts. A martial artist exercised the body first, with some meditation training augment it. Once he began developing his spirit, the fighter would start spiritual training, merging his will, Qi, and blood into one. But a cultivator would start with the spirit, trying to harmonize his soul and Qi first. Meanwhile, his body would be forced to toughen naturally until he reached the Seven Returns and Nine turns. Upon crystalizing his Qi into Dan, he would finally reach a balance.


      As for other more advanced and detailed concepts, Fei Dan barely mentioned them. Even if she did, Lou Cheng would not have understood.


      The layout of the meditation room was almost entirely bare, only containing a stone bed and a stone table. Far below what Lou Cheng imagined he would find in a Cultivator's Den.


      "It should be on the wall." Fei Dan looked around and said with confidence.


      "On the wall? What were they looking for?" Lou Cheng looked as far as he could, but the room was so dark. He could not find even a trace of something.


      Divine Enchanter of Sin Flame lowered his voice and said, "I told you we missed something, but you were in such a hurry!"



      A green blaze spurted from his hand, casting a gloomy light over everything.


      Lou Cheng followed Old Shi obediently. He dared not interrupt while the others were talking, and thus looked at the wall closely, only to find some mottled marks.


      "Why are you in a daze? Want to spend the night here?" Geezer Shi sipped at his wine and mocked, as if he was purely an onlooker.


      "Humph!" A dark green blaze flew from Divine Enchanter of Sin Flame's wrist, separating and then hitting the wall in eight different locations.


      There was a humming in everyone's ears, and a series of ripples emerged on the surface of the wall, glimmering lightly. An instant later, nine Chinese characters revealed themselves on the wall,


      "Confrontation, Army, Fighting, Swordsman, Wholeness, Formation, Dequeuing, Forwarding, Attainment!"


      Some characters were damaged, some faded. But "Army", "Swordsman" and "Forwarding" remained untouched, even appealing.


      "That is true... " Fei Dan said, then sighed meaningfully.


      "This is the Nine Words Formula of Taoist School." Geezer Shi informed his apprentice.


      Lou Cheng had heard of Nine Words Formula before, and its derivations from novels, animations, and materials of Cultivation. Therefore, he was no stranger to it. But he was curious why Queen of Thought and Divine Enchanter of Sin Flame explored the den again, seeking the same Nine Words Formula everyone already knew.


      As the idea flashed across Lou Cheng's mind, Geezer Shi carried on.


      "This is different from the one you've heard of. Nine Words Formula of Taoist School and six-syllabled Sanskrit mantra of Daxing Temple were alike. Son, you have encountered the Hum Formula once. You know well the force of those characters."


      "Reciting them would bring about various effects?" Lou Cheng asked.


      Geezer Shi taunted. "Reciting it is not enough. You have to recite and visualize the Formula at the same time to display it's true power!"


      "I know, and I am not stupid..." But Lou Cheng would not dare to talk back.


      Fei Dan stood beside them smiling and said, "You also have to read it in its primitive pronunciation, instead of the contemporary one. Otherwise, no matter how hard you tried reciting, it would be useless. For example, the character Confrontation should be... "


      Suddenly she took a serious tone of voice. Her chest was vibrating and her vocal chords resonated as she said,


      "Confrontation!"


      The sound reverberated through the building, entering Lou Cheng's ears from all sides. He felt the Jindan in his lower abdomen. The stars in his stomach were shifting, causing ripples within. Something was about to emerge.


      But it was fragile and transient, lacking a strong stimulus and effect!


      "Here! The Confrontation formula or Nine Words Formula caused a change in the Jindan?" Lou Cheng was pleasantly surprised. This was a rewarding trip!


      He imitated Queen of Thought's pronunciation and repeated,


      "Confrontation!"


      This time, the nebulous Jindan remained still, and Fei Dan laughed then said, "You spoke with an accent of Xing Province."


      Damn! Lou Cheng lowered his head in embarrassment.


      "If you are interested, I will sort out the ancient pronunciation of those words and send it to your master. However, without the coordinated visualization, it is of no use." Fei Dan sighed and turned around to Geezer Shi, "By analyzing the last words of Longhu Immortal, we found out that Nine Words Formula was not only a secret discipline but also a manual. By following its instructions, it's possible to reach an incredible level of power. The reason why Longhu Immortal stands first on the list of cultivators is that he always brought forth new ideas. He actually applied Nine Words Formula into his own Cultivation."


      "We hope it will help us break down the barrier between martial arts and Cultivation. I want to find a way to resolve the problem before I am too old."


      The Nine Words Formula found in the den confirmed their speculation about Longhu Immortal's methods of Cultivation.


      "What about the corresponding visualization?" Lou Cheng almost blurted out this question. Fortunately, he bore his master's warning in mind, keep silent.


      The reason that Confrontation Formula only caused a few ripples in the Jindan must be because he lacked the supporting visualization.


      Geezer Shi threw a quick glance at Lou Cheng, gaining insight into his mind, he smiled.


      "This was indeed a fruitful trip. The Nine Words Formula wrote by Longhu Immortal when he was cultivating contained spirit and essence, which was basically a visualized diagram without minor details."


      "Right. It only takes some time to master the skills. However, only three characters were intact," said Divine Enchanter of Sin Flame in a soft and regretful tone.


      Except for the character of Army, Swordsman, and Forwarding, the rest were deficient in essence.


      "It's no big deal. Longhu Immortal was not the only one who understood Nine Words Formula!" Geezer Shi gave a snort.


      "Those three characters on the wall are the visualization diagram?" Lou Cheng was shocked. He could see that those characters were in an elaborate and thickly-colored style representing a special meaning. They seemed to illuminate some of the ultimate mysteries of the universe.


      To be specific, Army was sharp, Swordsman was dignified, and Forwarding was full of vitality!


      While Lou Cheng was obsessed with these characters, Divine Enchanter of Sin Flame stepped forward, placing his fingers on the wall.


      With swishing sounds, the green blaze cut off the characters of Army, Swordsman, and Forwarding, leaving the rest to burn.


      Three pieces of stone flakes with characters flew to Queen of Thought, falling into her hands.


      Such telekinesis was far stronger than Liu Xunzhen's supernatural ability... Lou Cheng restrained the impulse to stop her from taking away those flakes.


      They left the Cultivator's Den and returned to the shore. Lou Cheng and his master gazed at the receding figures of Divine Enchanter of Sin Flame and Queen of Thought. Lou Cheng lowered his voice and told Geezer Shi, "Master, Nine Words Formula had an affect... "


      Lou Cheng was not finished, and Geezer Shi interrupted, "It affected the thing in your body that was left by Longhu Immortal?"


      "Right." Lou Cheng nodded hard.


      That was correct!


      He added. "The ancient pronunciation is not enough. We have to find the right visualization."


      "I will ask them for a rubbing of those stone flakes. Although the display would be less ideal, it is better than nothing. You can try with that and confirm the effect first." Geezer Shi mispronounced the word rubbing.


      "Thank you, master!" Lou Cheng answered joyfully.


      Geezer Shi was indeed a good master!


      There was a ray of hope that the mystery of Longhu Immortal's Jindan can finally be solved!


      He took out his phone and noticed the signal strength was restored. Yan Zheke had sent him an emoji of "stretching herself".


      "We finally get a break. Our teacher taught so fast that he finished dozens of pages of a textbook in one class and it was exhausting!"


      Lou Cheng checked the time. The last message was received several minutes ago.


      That adventure was over very quickly. It lacked the breathtaking and thrilling moments he had expected!


      "I managed to find time to have an adventure." He sent back an emoji of "snicker" to Yan Zheke, and tried to hail a special car with the APP.


      He waited. No taxi had accepted the order by the time Yan Zheke replied.


      "Let us call it a night. I am leaving first. You can go for a run if you like." Geezer Shi waved his hand and held in his laughter.


      "Master, you are not taking me with you?" said Lou Cheng with a steady look on his face. He could not believe his master!


      Geezer Shi coughed, "You know I am wounded. I could do just fine by myself, but I can't take you with me. You are a red-blooded young man. Go for a run."


      "O... OK." Lou Cheng accepted the excuse.


      Without the least hesitation, Geezer Shi strode forward, disappearing into the darkness.


      Geezer Shi took a rest from time to time. Whenever he stopped, he was unspeakably happy thinking of Lou Cheng's embarrassed look.


      You have an abundance of stamina, don't you?


      So run and keep running!


      Lou Cheng pulled himself together and ran. Breathing in the fresh and humid air by the lake and following the GPS on his phone, he headed toward the new campus of Songcheng University.


      On his way to the school, Lou Cheng received Yan Zheke's message with an emoji of "puzzled face". "Adventure? I do not understand... "


      Lou Cheng explained roughly without revealing things about the others that were involved.


      "There was a Cultivator's Den nearby that was previously explored. My master took me there. Do you know what a cultivator is?"


      "Of course. Shushan Study owns enormous material on Cultivation. The first cultivators were the fighters of Taoist School." Yan Zheke replied with a "pondering face", "Are you still in the Den? Your phone has service there? Do you have a global package?"


      "No. I am already running home!" Lou Cheng replied with mixed feelings. But what Coach Yan told him thronged his mind.


      Maybe more material of Cultivation could be gathered from Shushan Study...




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     328 A Man of His Words
      Lou Cheng ran smoothly back to the new campus of Songcheng University and picked up Yan Zheke from her class. After running for so long, he was still panting and furiously sweating even with his great stamina. Yan Zheke found it hilarious to watch him, but also felt sorry for him. She handed him some tissues for him to wipe his forehead and said with concern, "Let's skip our walk today. Get a bottle of hot water and wash up in your dorm."


      In early winter, it was not a challenge for Lou Cheng to shower with cold water. It was simply not too comfortable.


      "It's fine. Ever since I helped Old Qiu get the signature and gave him VIP tickets, I have hot water ready for me every day." Lou Cheng was so happy to find clues about Jindan that he wanted to take Ke around the lake and share his joy with her.


      Wrinkling her nose, Yan Zheke put on an expression of disdain. "You stink of sweat!"


      Though she said this, she did not let go of Lou Cheng's hand. She followed him as they walked slowly to the lake, looking happy and adorable.


      "Don't think I'm tired just because I've sweated a lot. Running is getting less effective on my stamina, unless I'm willing to spend half or an entire day doing it." Lou Cheng shared his feelings on this topic.


      He wondered how Mighty Fighters of inhuman Dan stage practiced.


      "Are you showing off? You're really showing off!" Yan Zheke glanced at him, baring her white teeth to show her annoyance. Due to her innate defect, her physical ability was worse than fellow same-level fighters.


      Lou Cheng burst out laughing. He gave her nose a slight pinch and said excitedly,


      "I'm considering which new method should I use to increase my stamina... My master told me he'd hand me some compiled information on cultivation, including copied versions of the Three Words Formula of the Nine Words Formula. Ah, I really hope I can comprehend them and learn something useful. Hehe, maybe I could even help you improve your stamina!"


      What he actually meant was focusing his cultivation of the Spirit and supplementing it with body refinement. Perhaps this method could help Ke make up for her innate defect. Of course, this was not something a regular cultivation method could achieve. Otherwise, her grandfather would have long mentioned about it with the massive collection of Shushan Study.


      Thus Lou Cheng did not directly bring up this plan in case he failed after giving her hope.



      As for the Nine Words Formula, he did not consider it a secret. He would use this martial art sooner or later. It would not something that could go undetected by people.


      Dimples appeared on Yan Zheke's face when she heard how Lou Cheng was still concerned about her physical state even as he was thinking about practicing martial arts. She felt very sweet on the inside. "Why you do keep on pinching my nose, mouth, and face lately? Do you think I'm still a kid?"


      Though she was being cute with him at first, she began to say seriously, "Nine Words Formula? I've heard about it from my grandfather. Each of the nine words has their unique abilities... I don't know if Shushan Study collected this formula. But even if there is, the formula must be rather incomplete. Either way, I've never heard of anyone practicing this secret discipline in the Faction."


      She subconsciously wondered if Shushan Study has the remaining parts of the Nine Words Formula and if she could help her boyfriend collect the whole thing.


      Hehe. Could this be considered a girl being nicer to her boyfriend than her own family? Lou Cheng could tell the implied meaning behind Yan Zheke's words and was secretly pleased. He only chuckled about it, instead of making fun of her to her face.


      "That's for sure. If there are people in each sect practicing it, then I wouldn't have only heard of the Nine Words Formula now," he said, recalling the top professional matches and the title matches that he had watched.


      Chatting as they walked, they walked further and further in until they reached a secluded area close to the west side of the campus still under development.


      Yan Zheke looked around and stopped walking. She pursed her mouth and looked at Lou Cheng with a serious expression.


      "This place is so secluded... It reminds me of a saying!"


      "What kind of saying?" Lou Cheng asked, smiling.


      Raising her chin, Yan Zheke smiled.


      "Go ahead and cry for help! Even if you burst your throat crying for help, no one will come and save you!"


      Lou Cheng snorted. "Why are you saying my lines?!" He laughed and pretended to be frightened of her.


      …


      On the last day of November, Yan Zheke returned to her room early to get a good rest. She needed to get herself in the best fighting state because she, Lin Hua and Lin Que had matches with the Martial Arts Club of Linghua University as the leading players of their university club.


      The moment Lou Cheng entered the seventh building, he received a call from his master.


      "Hey, brat! Come and see me now!" Geezer Shi said briefly without any explanation.


      Lou Cheng became excited, guessing that his master was going to give him the cultivation materials and the copies of the Three Words Formula: Army, Swordsman, and Forwarding!


      Sure enough, his master threw him a file pocket the moment he walked into his master's dormitory.


      "Take it back and read it carefully. Don't come and tell me you've already mastered it tomorrow," Geezer Shi quipped.


      Geezer Shi had to poke fun at his disciple this way because he had mastered the visualization, the Thunder Roar Zen, and the Severe Warning too quickly!


      "Then I'll tell you I've mastered it the day after tomorrow," said Lou Cheng, responding to his joke. He undid the string on the cover and took out the documents inside. What he saw were thick materials about cultivation and three mysteriously charming copies.


      As for the visualization photo for Zhu Rong Force, he had returned it to his master before going back to university.


      "Okay! If you have the ability, bring me the good news the day after tomorrow!" Geezer Shi waved, indicating for Lou Cheng to leave and not interrupt his drinking time.


      Carrying the file pocket, Lou Cheng left the instructors' apartment briskly. He also shared this with Yan Zheke.


      Naturally, Yan Zheke had already gone to bed, so there was no reply.


      Back in his dormitory, Lou Cheng was almost unbearably excited and happy. He first went through the cultivation materials in the quiet room. All his roommates had gone out for their own businesses. He found predecessors like Queen of Thought did not receive the Practice Methods of Longhu Immortal. Rather, they only received related notes and ancient records. He could only get a general idea and some specific but fragmented details.


      He only looked through the materials instead of reading them carefully. He found a written URL and the corresponding code for extraction at the end, with a note that read: "Nine Words Formula".


      Queen of Thought actually had such elegant handwriting… After admiring her penmanship for a few seconds, Lou Cheng downloaded the audio file and listened to it carefully on his phone for several times.


      It was only now that he got down to business. First, he selected the copied "Swordsman" Formula, viewing its essence and charm to help in his mind. He then found the corresponding gestures and explanations for this formula written on the corner of the paper.


      Practicing this without the gestures would help internally. With the combination of the mysteries of sound and minds, it can have incredible effects on one's body. With gestures, the formula will connect one internally and externally, activating the mysteries of sound, minds, and body at the same time. In the end, it will affect the outside world.


      Lou Cheng listened to the word "Zhe" over and over. He only stopped when he realized the Jindan in his body was responding to this sound. He became certain he has already mastered the right pronunciation of the word. He climbed onto his bed and sat cross-legged, trying to visualize the charm and essence of the formula "Zhe" with his palms facing up.


      He closed his eyes, attempting to do concealment of spirit and qi to first get his mind in absolute peace. He began drawing the word "Swordsman" in his mind carefully. But understanding the essence of a formula was never an easy task. The word appeared in his mind one after another, but none contained the thick and long essence and charm that he saw on the copy. Never mind triggering changes in his Jindan.


      Lou Cheng became tired after multiple attempts. His thoughts were beginning to sway, so he decided to try another way to practice it.


      For example, he planned to pronounce the word "Swordsman" with his vocal cords while visualizing seeing if the visualization effort and the word would be linked and create a certain essence!


      The practice of bravely making assumptions and carefully making confirmations had Lou Cheng's habit for many years. As soon as he was inspired, he immediately put it into practice. While visualizing the word that had little essence and charm in his mind, with the humming of his chest and the vibration of his vocal cords, he exhaled and pronounced the word,


      "Swordsman!"


      The sound echoed in his mind. The Jindan in Lou Cheng's lower abdomen had a slight reaction to the sound, rotating slightly as the stars around it showed indication of shifting.


      Just then, the shining and mysterious nebula seemed to come alive and began to vibrate with the word in his mind. The ripples around the Jindan became more and more obvious, almost forming a wave!


      Above the wave was a Swirling Star, seemingly formed out of hundreds of shining vogue ancient words. Those words scattered around the word "Swordsman", which had growing vitality and thick charm.


      The word was reflected in Lou Cheng's mind as soon as it appeared, changing his visualization with it.


      After a while, Lou Cheng withdrew the concealment of spirit and qi and thought over the feeling he had just now.


      He once again looked at the copied formula, wanting to get a deeper understanding of it.


      He seemed to be very familiar with the process this time. He successfully visualized the word with essence and charm in less than half an hour!


      Did he just pull it off this way? Lou Cheng himself was frightened by his learning speed!


      It seemed the Jindan of Longhu Immortal was really merged with the Nine Words Formula. What was more, the formula also contained his practicing methods!


      After Lou Cheng exhaled a breath and calmed down, he closed his eyes and began to visualize again. He again drew the word "Swordsman" which was of thick and growing charm in his mind and pronounced,


      "Swordsman!"


      His visualization vibrated with this sound, seemingly activating some mysterious power through the barrier between virtualization and reality. The power went inside Lou Cheng's body and tempered his Spirit and body.


      The reaction of his Jindan became more and more acute. The motion of the stars around it became more apparent. Finally, he could clearly see the hundreds of vogue ancient words!


      "The effect of the innate practice of 'Swordsman' formula is to help fighters temper their spirit and body... " Lou Cheng thought, staring at Zhao Qiang's tidy quilt and bed opposite his own.


      The practice allowed him to eliminate running from his morning exercise regime and help him slowly improve his spirit. This was the most urgent thing for him right now!


      He took out his phone and wrote down the words he had tried his best to remember in the memo app.


      "Swordsman!"


      "Swordsman!"


      Sitting on his bed cross-legged, he pronounced this word and practiced the internal training again and again to remember the ancient words. Until half past ten, he finally remembered and wrote down all the scattered words in the memo app.


      "Huh, if I could collect all the Nine Words Formula, then I'll be able to complete this kungfu." Lou Cheng looked at his phone and realized he could not understand all his fragmented notes.


      He rubbed his temples and watched the gestures on the paper. He began to practice the external training.


      "Swordsman!"


      "Swordsman!"


      When Zhao Qiang and Qiu Zhigao returned to their dormitory, Lou Cheng was still on the bed with his legs crossed. They also heard him shouting.


      "Cheng, what are you doing?" Zhao Qiang and Qiu Zhigao yawned, exhausted from studying.


      Lou Cheng smiled, not answering. He gave the bed handrail a light tap and put one hand on his lap with the other knotted. He then shouted solemnly,


      "Swordsman!"


      Sinking into a mysterious ambience, Zhao Qiang became suddenly alert and all his drowsiness disappeared.


      "Why am I suddenly not tired anymore?" Old Qiu looked at Lou Cheng in bewilderment. "It is because you frightened me?"


      "Think whatever you want." Lou Cheng smiled with slight fatigue.


      That night, Zhao Qiang could not fall asleep until two. Old Qiu was so energetic that he ran ten laps on the field.


      …


      The next morning, Geezer Shi let out a laugh and looked at Lou Cheng.


      "How is it? Do you think you can master it by tomorrow?"


      He teased his disciple once again.


      Lou Cheng coughed a little.


      "I'll let you know tomorrow."


      As a man, he would keep his promise. If he promised to tell his master tomorrow, he would never tell in advance!




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     329 Smartass
      In the afternoon, everyone in the Martial Arts Club arrived at Linghua University, also located in Songcheng. They easily defeated their opponents and won their second victory in the group competition. This meant they could successfully advance. What they needed now was another victory to avoid fighting Shanbei University before making the top eight.


      In this match, Yan Zheke once again did a good job with her Professional Ninth Pin level strength. She combined Yin-yang Twist and 24 Blizzard Strikes to attack her opponent. Lin Hua also took the opportunity to defeat one of their Amateur First Pin opponents who had consumed a little stamina then. Lin Que ended the match by winning the leading player in three moves.


      On their way back to the university, Lou Cheng and the rest only made it to the new campus at about six due to the terrible jam and had a delicious dinner in the university dining hall.


      As usual, he and Yan Zheke took a walk to aid their digestion. She shook her hand and sighed thoughtfully.


      "It's pretty exhausting to fight like this. I still haven't recovered yet."


      She fought Lou Ke today, who was also a Professional Ninth Pin fighter. She had to struggle hard to earn her victory. After the match, Lou Cheng planned on helping her relax and massaging her to relieve her fatigue. He had to give up for they were in the locker room of the other team and surrounded by Shu Rui's shooting team.


      Hearing Ke's cutesy words, Lou Cheng remembered the new secret discipline he had mastered. He put on a teasing air and said, "How about I perform a magic trick for you? You won't feel tired anymore after this!"


      "Liar!" Yan Zheke glared at him, annoyed but also tickled.


      "No, I'm serious. Just look at how sincere my eyes are." Lou Cheng deliberately widened his eyes. "Let's go over there and I'll show you!"


      He pointed to the lawn behind the trees. It was much more secluded compared to the busy main road.


      "What are you going to do?" A shocked Yan Zheke asked in suspicion.


      It was still bright out! Where has his shame gone?!


      Not to mention that so many people were still passing by!


      "Nothing, just an actual magic trick." Lou Cheng chuckled. "Ke, are you thinking of something dirty?"



      "Of course not!" Yan Zheke turned her head and denied his words, cheeks and ears flushed red.


      She only followed her boyfriend to the lawn behind a tree after he promised not to do anything to her.


      "Go on!" She stared at Lou Cheng, gnashing her teeth.


      Humph. Since when did he learn how to perform magic tricks?


      Lou Cheng smiled gently. He first visualized the word "Swordsman", with its thick and long charm. One of his palms faced up and the other was knotted. He pushed air out of his chest and vibrated his vocal cords. At last, he recited the word in a low voice,


      "Swordsman!"


      The moment the sound was made, there appeared a blow of wind. The sky dimmed a little. Yan Zheke trembled, feeling that all the organs in her body shaking. A strange but familiar force entered her body in an instant.


      Shocked, she opened her mouth bit by bit into a cute O-shape. While she was staring at Lou Cheng in bewilderment, she also subconsciously moved her body.


      "How do you feel? You don't feel tired anymore, right? What do you think of magic trick?" Reigning in his smugness, Lou Cheng smiled at her. But he also looked a little tired.


      The external use of the Nine Words Formula added a fair amount of burden on his spirit.


      "I-I'm really not tired at all... " Yan Zheke answered him in a daze. She suddenly came back to earth and raised her right hand. Surprised and pleased, she blurted out, "You've mastered the Nine Words Formula? The 'Swordsman' Formula?"


      How was this a magic trick? This was obviously a secret discipline!


      The day before yesterday, Cheng said Coach Shi would be giving him the material, not had given him. How could he have already mastered it today?


      Did this not seem a little too unrealistic?


      That was why Yan Zheke thought about the Nine Words Formula when Lou Cheng brought up the magic trick that could relieve her fatigue.


      "Yes, perhaps I'm fated with the formula," Lou Cheng told her the truth in a joking manner.


      Thanks to fate, Longhu Immortal and the Nine Words Formula merging with his Jindan had given him the key to practice this secret discipline!


      "Fate?" Yan Zheke has always been smart, so she was somewhat doubtful.


      Lou Cheng exhaled and said sincerely, "This involves a secret. I'll explain everything to you in the future."


      "Okay!" Yan Zheke smiled and stopped her questioning.


      She thought it involved a secret about Coach Shi.


      They looked at each other and laughed. Lou Cheng then suggested, "I'll use it again. Try and see if you can feel the changes in your body this time."


      "Okay." Yan Zheke nodded, like a chick picking at grains.


      Lou Cheng repeated the previous process. He knotted one of his hands and pronounced the word with a deep voice and a solemn expression,


      "Swordsman!"


      Wind swept them again, this time swirling into a whirlpool. What was more, the evening sky has turned much darker.


      Yan Zheke closed her eyes and carefully felt the changes carefully. After a minute, she said very cautiously, "It's like the external force is coming from you. Ah, it's not really entirely external, it seems to be coming from a close yet far place. It refreshes my spirit, um, also helps me recover from exhaustion... But that relief is from the first time, not this time."


      Lou Cheng asked thoughtfully, "Then do you feel more energetic? Is your stamina better than when you felt the most energetic in the past?"


      "No," she answered with certainty.


      "In other words, the 'Swordsman' formula can only relieve one's fatigue, but not improving strength. Well, there's also a possibility that I've just mastered it and haven't achieve a profound level." Lou Cheng was basically certain of the current effect of the formula. He smiled and said, "What do you think? Isn't this magic trick wonderful?"


      "Yes! It's great!" Yan Zheke answered cheerfully, glancing at him. "Now I'm not at all tired. Earlier, I was thinking of finding a secluded area and get you to massage me. But I don't need it anymore. In the future, you can just use this formula on me instead of massaging me!"


      He seemed to be have done something wrong… Being a smartass only brought him momentary pleasure… Lou Cheng did not know if he should laugh or cry. "That's different. The formula can't help you ease your bruises and cure the external wounds... "


      As he talked, he noticed a sly grin on Yan Zheke's face.


      …


      Near Weishui Lake on Monday morning.


      Geezer Shi strolled towards Lou Cheng with his hands clasped behind his back. He could not wait to tease him.


      "How is it? Have you mastered it? It's been two days since we met!"


      Lou Cheng remained calm. He set up a stance and knotted with his two hands. In addition, he said solemnly and seriously,


      "Army!"


      An odd, violent atmosphere enveloped their surroundings in an instant. Geezer Shi seemed to have seen thousands of soldiers on horseback charging furiously at him. Their iron heels stepped on the ground, making earth-shattering thumps. A thick murderous intent penetrated deep into his heart.


      Any ordinary person facing such a violent scene would have peed in his pants. But being a powerful martial arts expert, Geezer Shi was not frightened. His pupils only shrank out of shock at Lou Cheng's learning speed.


      There were thousands of words he wanted to say. There are many emotions he wanted to transform into curses, but in the end he just gave a soft smile.


      "Hehe."


      Did he just master the "Army" Formula in less than two days? With only a copied version?


      The top level fighters of physical invulnerability, Fei Dan and Zhao Zhengrong, have not even comprehended these formulas with the original version!


      This brat really needed to be dissected, or his various abilities would shock him to death one day... Geezer Shi scolded his disciple in his mind.


      Taking out his wine pot, he took a sip of alcohol to help him recover from the shock. He pretended to ask casually,


      "When did you master it? How many formulas have you learned now?"


      Lou Cheng gave an placid smile. "I learned the 'Swordsman' formula the day before yesterday and the 'Army' and 'Forwarding' formula yesterday."


      "W-What?!" Geezer Shi choked on his alcohol and said after a moment, "Did the legacy of Longhu Immortal help you learn the Nine Words Formula?"


      With his vast experience, he thought of the main point immediately.


      Lou Cheng felt pleased to see his master losing his composure and honestly replied, "Yes, it's linked to the Nine Words Formula. It helps me visualize the charm of the formula in reverse and allows me to understand the main points of this kungfu within half an hour. But I still need to rely on the Visualization Diagram."


      So he could not practice another six formulas now.


      Geezer Shi did not continue his questioning to disguise his emotions and maintain his dignity as a master. He changed the topic and said, "Not bad. This is considered an addition to your previous adventure reward. If 'Army' Formula is Spirit and Vigor Secret Art, what about 'Swordsman' and 'Forwarding'?"


      Lou Cheng answered him frankly, "The 'Army' formula tempers the will. It doesn't enhance the will, but rather make it sharper and harder to an extent. If I use it externally, I could suppress my opponent's momentum and attack his spirit. The 'Forwarding' formula trains the mind. It can also be combined with Ice Mirror. If I use it externally, it won't target on my opponent, but will influence my mind to help overcome negative emotions, such as fear, terror, fear, panic, and so on. As for the 'Swordsman' formula... "


      Listening to his disciple speaking so reasonably, Geezer Shi was actually speechless and could only nod in the end.


      "Good."


      He planned on practicing the Three Words Formula of the Nine Words Formula later to check how long it will take him to understand the basics of the kungfu...


      …


      On December 8, a Sunday, the Martial Arts Club of Songcheng University easily defeated the Martial Arts Club of Yunxia Geological School. Li Mao, Cai Zongming, and Lou Cheng were the leading players in this match. They successfully advanced to the final eight as the winner of their group. Based on the rule that the winner of one group would fight with the second place of another group, they got their wish to avoid a match with Shanbei, Sanjiang, and Haiyuan.


      Back in the new campus, the sky was already dark. When the members separated, they clapped each other on the backs as congratulations. But they were not too excited for they had already anticipated this victory before the district contest even started.


      Their goal was not to be the winner of the group, but to enter the National Finals!


      They would unleash their joy at that moment!


      After bidding farewell with Cai Zongming, Lou Cheng who was carrying his luggage pulled Yan Zheke aside.


      "What's wrong?" Yan Zheke somehow guessed what Cheng wanted to say.


      Lou Cheng bit his lip and shamelessly said,


      "Ke, let's sleep out tonight."


      That was right. After a period of exercise, he had become even more shameless. Now he could say it directly instead of just dropping hints!


      "Ah... " Yan Zheke never thought he would be this frank. Shocked, she immediately blushed.


      How could he say these things so directly?!


      How was she supposed to answer...


      Only then did Lou Cheng realized he had forgotten to mention the key point. He added quickly, "It's your birthday after 12 o'clock! I want to celebrate your 19th birthday with you. Don't worry. I've booked two rooms!"


      Yan Zheke suddenly recalled something Dirty Tong said.


      "They'll first book two rooms. Then they'll shamelessly stay in the girl's room… "


      Yan Zheke looked down, still blushing. She bit her lip and turned around to avoid his expectant gaze. She finally answered in a low voice,


      "O-Okay… "


      The minute she agreed, she became strangely guilty. So she added, "I believe in you."


      "Great!" Lou Cheng could not mask his joy.


      Just then, Yan Zheke's phone rang. She took out her phone and found it was her mom, Ji Mingyu, calling.


      "Empress Dowager... " She reminded Lou Cheng and chose to answer the call.


      "Hey, Ke. You're probably back in campus?" Ji Mingyu asked with a smile.


      "Yes, I'm here. Mom, are you calling to celebrate my birthday in advance? You haven't given me your presents yet!" Yan Zheke said cutely.


      Lou Cheng stood by her side silently, planning their date at night and the process of giving her the present in his mind. With his excellent hearing, it was easy for him to eavesdrop on the conversation over the phone.


      Ji Mingyu smiled. "I've long prepared it. Your dad happened to be free these couple of days. We're already here in Songcheng. What do you think? Are you surprised?"


      Yan Zheke opened her mouth in shock and turned to the frozen Lou Cheng. She replied blankly,


      "I-It's really a surprise… "




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     330 A Terrible Experience
      Surprise... Lou Cheng felt darkness come over his eyes as if the palm of Empress Dowager pressed him down. At that time, he was like the monkey king, Sun Wukong, who was pressed beneath the Five Elements Mountain by Buddha. No matter how hard he tried, he just could not jump out of it.


      While the priest climbs a post, the devil climbs 10. I can never win the mothers!


      No matter how perfect my plan is, I never imagined that Ke's mother would come to Songcheng directly to celebrate Ke's birthday!


      Hearing Ke's response on the phone, Ji Mingyu seemed to find nothing weird and she continued to say with a smile, "Last year because your dad and I were busy working, we didn't celebrate your birthday by your side. This time, we'll make it up to you. We are in Songya Hotel now, you can just come here by taxi. Anyway, skip the class tonight. It's only a class meeting, isn't it? You can ask your counselor for a leave."


      "Okay, I know." Yan Zheke agreed with her, feeling warm but depressed.


      Songcheng University had a custom which was to fix the class on Sunday night as a class meeting. Certainly, on the curriculum, it had to be substituted for the other names such as "situation and policy"...


      It was the only lesson in the preset schedule that students could not change.


      Because both Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke had matches which were held on away grounds on Sunday from time to time, they usually came back very late. They directly asked the counselor for a long leave through the school management department. The long leave meant that they needed not take this class for a long time.


      After hanging up the phone, Yan Zheke pursed her lips and looked at Lou Cheng with a complex expression. She opened her mouth several times, but at last, she still failed to say any words.


      Lou Cheng exhaled a breath quietly and smiled again.


      "Now I really want to ask you a question. How big the shadow of sadness in my heart is... Well, that's okay. Actually, your official birthday is tomorrow. I will invite you to dinner tomorrow night!"


      He tried to defuse Ke's guilt with his self-deprecating humor, but his own loss and pity were not so easy to be eliminated.


      It was her first birthday since they had begun their romantic relationship. But they could not hold hands to celebrate it together...



      Furthermore, Lou Cheng also lost the excuse to persuade her to sleep outside with him...


      Yen Zheke looked up and bit her cute teeth lightly. Suddenly, she turned around to avoid Lou Cheng's eyesight and slightly lifted up her chin.


      "You, you can also go to the hotel with me... "


      "What? To visit your parents now? Will that be too hasty?" Lou Cheng was shocked by her words. At first he was startled, but after a few seconds, he quickly calmed down and stopped panicking.


      I have made progress. I am able to guarantee Ke a stable future life. Now I can be confident to visit Empress Dowager and my father-in-law. I have nothing to be afraid of.


      This is based on my ability, confidence, and faith in our loving relationship.


      Ah, certainly it'll be impolite for me to visit her parents without any gifts. I have to take the time to buy some gifts. What kind of gifts should a son-in-law bring when he first visits his parents-in-law?


      Seeing Lou Cheng showing a surprising but thoughtful look, Yan Zheke definitely realized that he was planning for the future and was being concerned "too much". So at that moment, she said in a hurry, "What are you thinking now! What I mean is that you can stay in Songya Hotel tonight. After my mom and dad fall asleep, I will come to your room and wait for my birthday to come together with you. Emm, if my mother came here by herself, she would certainly ask me to sleep with her. However, my dad also came here this time. They are too romantic and intimate to sleep separately... "


      "Like us." Lou Cheng smiled and consented to her suggestion. He stopped thinking about visiting the parents-in-law but again he began to look forward to tonight.


      Yan Zheke glanced at him fiercely and suddenly felt like she had made some mistakes.


      She also saw the luggage carried by Lou Cheng and suddenly awakened, so she blurted out,


      "You have hidden the birthday cake in your backpack, haven't you?"


      Just now, she was wondering why Cheng deliberately brought the big backpack with him today!


      "More than a birthday cake." Lou Cheng smiled and left her guessing.


      With his current ability for controlling his power and body, even if he ran around with a small cake in his backpack, he was able to keep it from being damaged.


      "You also bring me gifts?" Yan Zheke asked him curiously and delightfully.


      I really want to know what it is now!


      "Hey, you will know tonight." Lou Cheng still kept it a secret, even while Ke kept asking him with her cute look.


      …


      Ke was finally united with her parents. They had a good dinner and a warm conversation. Her parents gave her surprising gifts. But all these things had nothing to do with Lou Cheng. He stayed in Room 1218 and was busy preparing for the surprise event. After he finished the preparations, he began to surf the internet and chat with Yan Zheke online. He patiently waited for her.


      In Room 1902, Yan Zheke sat on the sofa and held Ji Mingyu's arm while chatting with her parents casually. She told them something about her major. There was a half-eaten cake and some burned candles on the end of the table which was set in front of the sofa.


      She checked the time on her phone and deliberately yawned, covering her mouth. "I have to get up early tomorrow to go back to school to participate in the special training... "


      "Oh, yes. It's so late. You should take a bath quickly and go to bed now." Yan Kai checked the time on his wristwatch and consciously understood what his daughter implied by saying this.


      "Okay, then." Yan Zheke nodded and asked them one more question for feeling a little guilty. "Dad, Mom, when do you go back home? I want to see you off."


      "On tomorrow morning's plane. We are family, so why do we bother to send each other off? You should go back to school and study hard." Holding Ji Mingyu's hands, Yan Kai answered her generously and gently.


      "Well, okay. I love you~" Yan Zheke let out a smile and behaved very cutely because she had a good mood.


      Watching her entering the bathroom and hearing the sound of water, Yan Kai seemed to notice something. "Ke seemed to care about other things and she was occasionally absent-minded. Is it because this is the first time for her to ask for a leave for this reason?"


      Ji Mingyu glanced at him with a funny look. "Should I praise him for being so careful or should I ridicule his sluggish mind?" She exhaled a breath and leisurely said, "Girls at this age will inevitably have a variety of thoughts."


      She gave her husband a hint.


      Yan Kai gently nodded and sighed, "Imperceptibly, Ke has grown up and become a big girl. Oh, I always think she still is the little girl in my memory... In the future, while the future is not far away."


      Time flies. It had been 20 years since his daughter was born. As he had come to this age, he inevitably would have such a feeling.


      "Yes, she has become a big girl... " Ji Mingyu also sighed silently.


      …


      Turning off the lights and tumbling onto the bed, Yan Zheke tried her best to stop herself from falling asleep because she had already developed a living clock to sleep at that point. While chatting with Lou Cheng aimlessly, she also listened to the sound in the living room.


      At 11:00, she heard that her parents had begun to take a bath. At 11:20, she heard that the door of the other bedroom was closed. She held onto the patience to wait until 11:40, then she changed her clothes and shoes and cautiously opened the door to go out with careful and light movements.


      First, she closed the door of her own bedroom and put away the spare room card. She then walked toward the door silently and wrenched the doorknob more carefully than the moment when she was fighting in a Challenge Tournament. At last, she opened the door with a very faint sound.


      After she walked out of the room, she closed the door without making any sound. At that moment, she was finally relieved, so she took out her phone and sent a message to Lou Cheng:


      "Your sister is coming! Be ready to welcome me!"


      Her footsteps became light. She seemed to jump into the elevator excitedly. She swept the room card to let the elevator take her down to the 12th floor. In the end, she found Room 18.


      While stopping in front of the door, she inexplicably became nervous. She took a breath and knocked on the door lightly.


      "Creak!" The door immediately opened like a magic show. Yan Zheke looked into the room subconsciously and found that the whole room was just in darkness with no light on.


      But there were bright stars highlighted in the darkness as if the vast and fantastic sky in the prairies had been moved here.


      The stars slowly moved to form various beautiful and meaningful constellations. While below Sagittarius, there was a cake surrounded by 19 candles which was placed on the bed. The candles flickered warmly and reflected the crimson characters on the white cream.


      "Happy 19th birthday, my fairy."


      "These are so beautiful... " Yan Zheke silently sighed and walked into the room. She was even moved to tears and tried to remember what she was seeing now.


      At that moment, she heard a familiar male voice.


      "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you... "


      Lou Cheng closed the door and sang the birthday song while walking behind Yan Zheke. He then took out a silver clavicle necklace from his pocket. This necklace did not have a complicated design and only had around shining pearl on it, very simple and elegant.


      "Let me help you put it on," he whispered in her ear tenderly.


      "OK." Yan Zheke stood there quietly and looked at the beautiful scene in front of her. She seemed to lose herself in it.


      Lou Cheng first circled the necklace around her neck, then he buckled it with his flexible fingers.


      The length of this necklace fit just right. The pearl was set exactly in the middle of Yan Zheke's two beautiful and delicate clavicles like a water droplet.


      "Is this necklace beautiful?" Lou Cheng kissed the side of her neck.


      All the gifts he prepared were selected based on his daily observations of what she liked and disliked, on her daily conversations, and on her voluntary sharing of information.


      "Yes." Yan Zheke answered him in a soft voice. There were many emotions in her heart and many words that she wanted to express. But the moment that she was about to speak, what she said became an inexplicable thing. "You, how can you put candles on the bed? Be careful, they might burn the bed!"


      She only felt that she was about to cry and her face had blushed a little bit.


      "You have forgotten that I am a walking refrigerator now?" Lou Cheng laughed in the girl's ear and pulled her over to the bed. "Let's wait for the coming of the new day so that you can make a wish."


      "OK." It was the third time for Yan Zheke to answer like that tonight. She looked around, trying to find a topic which would not make her feel more excited and moved. "Does this clavicle necklace have any special meaning?"


      Lou Cheng had prepared for this question, so he laughed. "A pearl means that it's your first birthday since we fell in love. What's more, it means that I will dedicate the first championship I won this year to you."


      "Hmm, if you gave me a clavicle necklace with one pearl on it for my first birthday, then when my second birthday comes, will you give me a necklace with two pearls on it? And in the future, do you plan to give me a pearl necklace?" Yan Zheke was a little shocked for she was touched by Lou Cheng's words. She worried that she would cry out, so she subconsciously talked back to him in a cute way.


      "Great idea!" Lou Cheng smiled and gave her a thumbs-up.


      Yan Zheke touched the pearl and looked around. She asked,


      "You even prepared some stage properties?"


      "Yes, the Star Projector. I was stupid before. At first, I bought a normal one that cost hundreds of Yuan and the effect was as bad as the slide in our class, which can only cheat children. So I quickly bought this one. Although this is rather expensive, the effect is actually much more excellent." Lou Cheng shared this story with her happily.


      "When will you stop being stupid?" Yan Zheke lifted her chin, smiling beautifully.


      Time went by. While they were chatting, the new day also came quickly. Lou Cheng looked at this girl, who looked more beautiful under the dim candlelight, and said tenderly,


      "Honey, happy birthday.


      "Make a wish now."


      "OK." Yan Zheke knelt beside the cake and closed her eyes.


      After a while, she opened her eyes and leaned over. She then exhaled a breath to blow out the candles, leaving only the Star Projector shimmering in the room.


      "What kind of wish did you make?" Lou Cheng smiled.


      Yan Zheke pursed her lips and chuckled. "I made three wishes. The first one is that all the people I love can be in good health and go well. The second one is that I can do well in my own martial arts and my study. The third one, the third one, I will not tell you ~ It won't work if I told you!"


      "Well, okay then. You can tell me after it worked." Lou Cheng picked up the knife and began to divide the cake. He took a slice of cake and shared it with Yan Zheke.


      At first, they were just eating, but later they began to kiss unconsciously, from a light kiss to a French kiss.


      When Yan Zheke threw her head back and her lips became tender and delicate, Lou Cheng said in a low voice, "Ke, tonight, you shouldn't go back to your room and wake your parents up. I will wake you up tomorrow morning before I do the morning exercise. I promise I will not do anything that you don't like."


      Yan Zheke felt like she was living in a dream since she had walked into the room. She felt as if she were stepping on the clouds with a happy mood. Watching her boyfriend's yearning eyes, her heart suddenly was softened by his eyesight, so she said, "Okay, I'll stay. I believe you."


      After she finished her words, she was held tight by Lou Cheng again. They kissed so intensely.


      Both of them took off their clothes and shoes. And Lou Cheng grasped the edge of the rest of the cake on the bed and threw it onto the roundtable. In the end, the cake fell on the table steadily.


      Witnessed by the vast sky and shining stars, he kissed that girl from head to toe while Yan Zheke at that time bit her lips tightly because she had never experienced such a raging sensual desire. She sometimes grasped the sheet tightly and sometimes loosely for she did not want to let out a happy moan.


      Watching this erogenous scene, Lou Cheng became a little impulsive to move to the next step because he has endured his desire for almost half a semester. But Yan Zheke did not forget her bottom line, so she stopped him and showed her attitude clearly.


      Lou Cheng respected her will and kept his promises. He stopped from moving to the next step and went into the bathroom.


      When he came out, the girl had already put on her underwear. She covered herself with the quilt and lay on her side with her face flushing and muttered, "You did not follow the steps!"


      "What steps?" Lou Cheng was confused.


      These are normal steps!


      Wearing a red face, Yan Zheke laughed in a low voice and did not answer him.


      No, Cheng did not follow the script. He did such sexual things not like what Dirty Tong told me!


      He, he did not say anything, but just started!


      After Yan Zheke took a bath again, she lay on the bed and shrank herself into Lou Cheng's arms. At that moment, she completely trusted him.


      Lou Cheng hugged her and lowered his head to give her a deep kiss that was not so hot nor so intense, but warm and gentle.


      When their lips separated, they smiled at each other. They opened their mouths almost simultaneously.


      "Good night."


      This was no longer a QQ message that they sent to each other online, but a truly beautiful sentence that happened in reality.


      …


      At half past five the next morning, Lou Cheng got up to begin his morning exercise. Again he understood the kind of eternal feeling which men usually had after they got married, that was, every morning became so warm and beautiful while seeing their lovers. He ran out of the hotel filled with energy.


      However, Yan Zheke stayed in bed for a while. After she cleaned up, she quietly went back to the 19th floor and opened the door of the suite.


      Just when she was going to slip into her own bedroom quietly, she suddenly saw a person sitting on the sofa. Empress Dowager wore a nightgown and sat there with her legs elegantly crossed!


      Everything became black before her eyes, and Yan Zheke blurted out,


      "Mom… "


      "Does Lou also stay here?" Although Ji Mingyu was asking her, her tone was very assured.


      "Yes, but we, we did not do anything." Yan Zheke answered her even before she asked more because Yan Zheke felt very guilty.


      Ji Mingyu stared at her eyes for a while, finally feeling relieved, so she sighed.


      "My daughter has grown up and has become a good girl... "


      She patted the sofa and said in a soft voice, "Come here and sit. Let mom tell you something."


      …


      The match between the final eight came quickly. Because their opponent was not so powerful, Songcheng University Martial Arts Club still took the way to fight in turn. Sun Jian, Yan Zheke, and Lin Que cooperated with each other and defeated Yueyang University. On Saturday, December 14th, Lou Cheng's club entered the semi-finals.


      On Sunday afternoon, the teams which entered the semi-finals were settled. The Committee announced the battle team in the first round:


      Sanjiang College vs. Haiyuan School;


      Shanbei University vs. Songcheng University!


      Coming events always cast their shadows before their arrival.


      …


      "Shanbei?" When Li Mao saw the battle team, he blurted that out in the office of the Martial Arts Club, forgetting that Shu Rui was still leading her team to shoot material here.


      As long as they entered the semi-finals, they would certainly confront Shanbei. That was a fact that both Lou Cheng and he had known before. But they still had never expected to confront this team in the first round for it had won the last two National Championships!


      Shouldn't it be the same as in games, where people always fight according to their rank, from the weaker opponent to the stronger one? So we should at first fight with Haiyuan, and then confront Sanjiang. Only waiting for us to have accumulated great momentum, then we can challenge the ultimate BOSS?


      How can we confront the Big Devil in the beginning?


      Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke looked at each other for a while. Lou Cheng then glanced at Lin Que. He had a complicated mood, for he felt not only excited but also nervous.


      That was because their first match was with Shanbei, which meant that it not only involved the result of this match but also involved the influence that the result would have on their following matches!


      If their fighting momentum was disrupted, it would result in a low morale. Maybe they would also lose in the following two matches!


      …


      "Shanbei... " In Sanjiang College, Qu Hui took off his top hat and studied the western gentleman, making a slight bow toward the computer screen with a smile.


      What a perfect draw!


      If the first match for Songcheng University is with Shanbei, they will certainly lose all their energy in the first round and gradually become exhausted. It obviously is beneficial for our Martial Arts Club!


      Except for him, the other present members of Sanjiang Martial Arts Club were also happy and excited.


      …


      "Shanbei!" Sitting in front of her desk in the dormitory, Yan Xiaoling almost jumped up and quickly updated a post in the forum to help her relieve the pressure:


      "@Unparalleled Dragon King, what should we do? Lou Cheng's club has to fight Shanbei in the first round!"


      "Unparalleled Dragon King" sent a "funny" emoji and said, "What to do? They certainly will not give up! Huh, this should be a wonderful match!"


      "A reign of terror and fierce long knives seem to come into my eyes." "Okamoto's Fan", who always pretended to be an old hand at sex, used some literary words. But he then also added, "If Songcheng University wins this match, I will share all of my porn collection with you."


      "Then you will at least be detained!" "Bull Demon King" responded to this poser.


      While "Brahman" screamed excitedly, "Oh my god, I really want to watch the match at the scene! Little Changye, you must watch the show as carefully as you can to make up for me!"


      "May I ask a question? What should I bring to the away ground to cheer for Lou Cheng? Banners? Big photos?" Yan Xiaoling stopped being frightened and gradually became excited, which mixed with worry.


      "You don't need to take anything. Remember this sentence: 'Take care of yourself, in case other students beat you'!" "Unparalleled Dragon King" poked fun at her.


      …


      As the people were having a hot debate in Lou Cheng's fan forum, the battle table also became one of the most discussed topics on Weibo.


      Since it was a match between several Heavenly sons of the age, it was normal for this match to attract so much attention.


      Or, to be more specific, ever since He Xiaowei, the famous commentator, selected out who the four Heavenly sons of this age were, many people started to look forward to this match.


      National University Martial Arts Competitions, the official Weibo account, also took the initiative to update some pre-match predictions and wrote a long and detailed Weibo with a short but striking topic, as followed:


      "This is the most eye-catching match among all divisions. This is a match between heavenly sons! Will Peng Leyun, who is an established fighter, win the match? Or Lou Cheng and Lin Que, who are still fresh, now trying their best to beat this powerful tiger down?


      "3:00 pm, December 21st. Let's meet at the Flying Bird Stadium of Shanbei University!


      "Here's the newest introduction to the leading players and the main bench fighters of these two teams.


      "It's said that Peng Leyun has achieved the Professional Sixth Pin during the summer vacation. With more than four months of hard work, with his great pace of progress, and with his daily performance, we absolutely can look forward to his current strength—whether he is a strong fighter of the Professional Sixth Pin, a top fighter of the Sixth Pin, or has he even already crossed the threshold of the Inhuman stage?


      "As for Xu Wannian, his Corvine Mouth has improved a lot. But he seems to indulge in practicing his supernatural abilities, so his martial arts doesn't make any progress. He is still a top fighter of the Professional Ninth Pin and fails to step over the threshold of the Dan stage. This time, his opponent, Lou Cheng, seems to be able to restrain his abilities, which is not good news for him. So we'll see whether his Corvine Mouth is much more powerful or he will be terribly hurt by the fierce boomerang.


      "As for Fang Zhirong, he at first attended a martial arts school and participated in Haiyuan where he also got cultivation. But then he chose to enter Shanbei and he was in the same grade as Lin Que. He was more famous than Lin Que before and he also entered the Dan stage as early as he did. He succeeded in mastering the Dan stage in August. As we know, because the fighters had contact with different people and practiced different Kung Fu, they will go through a period during which their martial arts would advance by leaps and bounds after they achieved a new level. So, four months have gone by, which level has Fang Zhirong achieved now?


      "In addition, back when Fang Zhirong was studying in Haiyuan, he mainly practiced the Kung Fu derived from the Dark Sect and mastered Kung Fu related to the Plague Sect and the Magnetism Sect as his assistant movements. He was so arrogant and stubborn, so people usually called him 'Bad Boy'. However, after he entered Shanbei, he became much gentler under Peng Leyun's threat.


      "Mao Chengjun, who is in the same grade as Peng Leyun, is one of the bench fighters and became a top fighter of Professional Ninth Pin in his Martial Arts Club.


      "Bernhard, a freshman from Northern Europe, has his own supernatural ability and is good at making air explosions, so his nickname is 'Nobel'. But because he is still weaker than the fighters of the Professional Ninth Pin, he is unable to become a leading player for now.


      ...


      "Then let's talk about Lou Cheng. He is the most talented disciple of the Ice God Sect in this age. In August, even when he just entered the Dan stage, he showed his strength, which was as powerful as the fighters of the Professional Seventh Pin. Now four months have passed, and he hasn't presented his ability in public. Like what we said about Fang Zhirong, Lou Cheng is also in the period during which he will advance by leaps and bounds. So what kind of surprise he will bring to us? What kind of magic will this magical boy create for us again?


      "Lin Que, the freshest direct descendant of Shushan Study, mastered the Dan stage in June. Now six months have passed, we don't know how many movements in the Fighting Sect have already been mastered by him. However, in the previous matches, it's said that he had astonishing performance after he showed a little of his current strength. So let's look forward to Lin Que, the boy who is still in the period during which fighters can advance by leaps and bounds!


      "As for Yan Zheke, we shouldn't only focus on her beautiful looks but we also should know about her great improvements in martial arts. Within one year, she has grown up from a normal person with no rank to a fighter of the Professional Ninth Pin. Certainly, she is different from Lou Cheng. Because one year ago, she actually was as strong as a fighter of the Amateur Sixth or Seventh Pin, but she never attended any Ranking Events. No matter what, she has made an astonishing improvement to advance to the Professional Ninth Pin. She is the leading bench fighter.


      "Li Mao, who improved from the normal Amateur Third Pin to the Professional Ninth Pin in one year, is a fighter that most people can imitate.


      "As for Cai Zongming, it is said he at first was a fighter of the Amateur Fifth Pin, but he achieved the top Amateur First Pin in only six months.


      "Sun Jian, the old qualified member of their Martial Arts Club. He is a fighter of the top Amateur First Pin.


      "Lin Hua, she is expected to achieve the Amateur First Pin this month.


      ...


      "Okay, now we have finished the introductions. Let us interview a few leading players about their views on this match: @Peng Leyun of Shang Qing, @The iron mouth has been broken for million years, @Fang Zhirong 001, @Lou Cheng 129. As for Lin Que, I think he possibly doesn't have a Weibo Account... "


      In the classroom, Lou Cheng also saw this Weibo because a lot of people had transmitted it and addressed him. He suddenly had many thoughts moving up and down in his heart, and at that moment, he did not know how to reply to those comments, with what kind of attitude or tone.


      At that moment, he saw that "Peng Leyun of Shang Qing" had updated a Weibo:


      "I am looking forward to fighting with Lou Cheng and Lin Que."


      This actually was a normal and polite sentence. But after different people interpreted it, it had completely different meanings.


      "Does Le mean that Lou Cheng or Lin Que cannot defeat him on their own?"


      "Does he mean that he is looking forward to fighting an attrition warfare with both Lou Cheng and Lin Que?"


      "He is so confident!"


      After a while, "The iron mouth has been broken for million years" showed his attitude:


      "Songcheng University is powerful. Also, we very much admire the great progress of Lou Cheng and Lin Que. But what I want to say is that the ultimate victory belongs to us!"


      "Fang Zhirong 001," said concisely, "We are waiting for them!"


      Lou Cheng held his phone and hesitated to reply to them because he had already felt the strong momentum and confidence held by his opponents in Shanbei who were the National Champions.


      "What's wrong?" Just after Yan Zheke had learned a tough point, she was aware of the abnormal behavior of her boyfriend.


      Lou Cheng handed her the phone and showed her the Weibo that he read. He told her the whole story in a low voice.


      "You do not know how to reply these comments?" Yan Zheke looked at Lou Cheng with concern and asked him straight to the point.


      Lou Cheng nodded and sighed. "I really want to win. But I clearly know that we only have a small possibility to win the match. If I behave very confidently and show a firm attitude for winning the game, after the match the result may make me lose face. But to yield in the beginning of the match isn't my style. I just can't!"


      Yan Zheke looked up and pursed her lips slightly while thinking. The corners of her mouth lifted.


      "Cheng, I thought of a sentence that I read several days ago. It's a little vulgar but is still reasonable, which is also suitable for your current situation."


      "Which sentence?" Lou Cheng asked curiously.


      Yan Zheke's smile was as beautiful as fresh flowers. She whispered quickly,


      "Careless about life and death, fight if you don't want to say uncle!


      "Now you can change this sentence. For example, care less about victory and failure, fight if you don't want to say uncle!"


      "Careless about life and death, fight if you don't want to say uncle! Careless about victory and failure, fight if you don't want to say uncle!" Lou Cheng repeated her words again in his heart and just felt that his blood was burning. He already knew how to reply to those comments.


      He considered his tone and did not use blunt words. After all, people had to be polite in public talks.


      He typed the sentence quickly on his phone and read it again before he updated it.


      "As a fighter, you can lose the game, but never yield!


      "Now since you never admit defeat, let's fight!"


      Let's fight!




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     331 From Here, Back Here
      Lou Cheng's reply soon attracted spectators with mixed reviews.


      "Bro, not bad. I like your sincerity!"


      "Coward! Already frightened before the fight?"


      "One may lose the battle but not the war! Why couldn't you just ask him to bring it?"


      "That's called rational. Only a fool pretends to be confident in front of a losing battle! You like those braggers?"


      "What coward are we talking about? I see only respect and politeness. You just can't understand the art of words."


      "Refusing to concede defeat is longing to win. 'I want to win. Bring it!' Feel better now?"


      "Emm... You blind supporters. Don't you try to speak for him! He's a coward. He has no faith in himself in front of Peng Leyun. Hmm... Actually Lin Que and him together."


      Some familiar IDs also popped up.


      Wonton Seller commented, "Very well said! I don't understand those antis. Go for it (shoulder tapping)!"


      Eternal Nightfall said, "Whatever they say, I'm on fire now!"


      Brahman 001 replied, "I'm always here for you no matter what you say!"


      Unparalleled Dragon King laughed, "To be honest, the manner is not imposing at all but it suits you. Neither arrogant nor blowing his own horn... "


      ...


      While reading through those comments, Lou Cheng's mood shifted from furious and tempted to reply to gratify for mutual understanding and eager to like their responses. Eventually, he logged out Weibo and put his phone down without doing anything.


      Maturity is not defined by having no mood swings, staying unaffected in front of irritation or longing for nothing. It is more about self-control and thoughts measuring against impetuous and blind taking out.


      Yan Zheke was also reading comments under this post and felt angrier than him.


      "These people are terrible!


      "I want to grab them and ask them to explain themselves!"


      Looking at her bulging cheeks, Lou Cheng burst into a laugh and all the gloominess instantly went away. He urged,



      "Go ahead. I've never seen Coach Yan yell at anyone."


      Yan Zheke threw a glare at Lou Cheng, brusque but amused.


      "I always yell at people. You idiot!"


      "That's true... " Lou Cheng smiled at her yell.


      In the flirtatious banter, Lou Cheng completely adjusted his mood and left all the comments behind, looking forward to fight on that coming weekend.


      …


      20 December, Friday, 8:35 pm, those of Songcheng University Martial Arts Club arrived at the city of Pingjiang in Shanbei province.


      They got here one day earlier to confront the defending champion in their best form.


      The university booked the same hotel Lou Cheng and Geezer Shi had stayed last time for its great location within walking distance to Shanbei University and its decent environment and facilities. The nearby private martial arts club could be rented for a few hours for them to have a warm-up session.


      However, this hotel didn't have as many stars as Geezer Shi had bragged. He stubbornly forced the school president to book a room for each of them instead of two students sharing one as they did in the past to save some face.


      Of course, he made up a very convincing reason.


      "Everyone needs a good night sleep to ensure the delivery of their best performance tomorrow!"


      Once the rooms were arranged to each of them in the hotel, Lou Cheng quickly put down his belongings before sneaking into Yan Zheke's room to continue watching fight videos, taking every second to discuss the rivals.


      This is to be the strongest rival in my career so far. There can never be enough preparation. Ke has fallen behind her study for this which she has to work hard to catch up.


      At 10:30 pm, he left Yan Zheke's room on his own initiative considering of her reputation.


      Yan Zheke curled up her legs and half sat on the bed, hanging on his neck. She initiated a passionate French kiss and said goodnight with affection in her eyes.


      "Good night." Lou Cheng gently placed a kiss on her forehead and left the room with the corner of his mouth rising.


      "Always treat me as if I'm a little kid!" Yan Zheke stroked her forehead and lay down hugging her duvet with a bright smile.


      …


      The next morning, Lou Cheng got up before 5:30 and changed into his martial arts suit after washing up. He opened the door of his room, about to begin his morning training somewhere.


      As soon as he walked out of the room, an odd feeling hit him. He turned around and saw Shu Rui and her camera team standing not far from him.


      "Morning!" Shu Rui yawned, with confusion and mist in her eyes, apparently not ready to leave her warm bed.


      Lou Cheng was taken by surprise, blurting out, "Reporter Shu? You are up early."


      No one else in the martial arts club is up yet.


      They are not being lazy. The special training every day is draining their physical strength. And they are used to their routine. A sudden change on the very day of the match is not a good idea.


      In a fashionable light black jacket, Shu Rui smiled. "Everyone talks good things about this job but it's not that good at all. Training from dawn to night is quite common. My skin is so bad compared to my university days. Half of my salary has to be spent on skincare products."


      After drawing herself closer to Lou Cheng with a complaint, she continued with a smile, "I've heard about your 5:30 morning training habit but never get a chance to film it. Finally! Don't worry. We won't film your moves. Just some running and looking for your exercise spot."


      "Sure." Lou Cheng agreed.


      Shu Rui looked cheerful, instructing her team to get to work. She asked, "Is Lin Que also into morning exercise?"


      "Yeah." Lou Cheng confirmed without hesitation.


      I heard it from Ke!


      "Emm... What time does he start?" asked Shu Rui, pleasantly surprised.


      "I'm not sure. He's a loner." Lou Cheng outstretched his hands.


      Shu Rui clapped with a sneer, "Breaking news! The two leading fighters of Songcheng University Martial Arts Club are on bad terms!"


      "We are actually relatives... I never saw you talk this much in front of Lin Que." Lou Cheng vented out some silent judgment and ended the conversation by running into the elevator.


      Shu Rui waved her hand and the entire camera team followed professionally.


      Outside of the hotel, Lou Cheng entered the mist of the early winter and ran to Shanbei University after gaining his direction. An old memory struck him, driving him towards the stadium.


      "Now... Today... Is he training there?"


      Following the strange path in his memory, Lou Cheng reached a big sports field and turned to a maidenhair tree.


      Yellow leaves were drifting down from the tree in the dark mist. A young man in a white martial arts suit was there, practicing moves in an imposing manner.


      "He is here! No flaccidity at all!" Lou Cheng felt touched as before.


      In such a distance, he couldn't see very clearly but he had watched too many videos of his these days that he was certain that young man in white was the lead of Shanbei University Martial Arts Club, a direct disciple of the Shangqing Sect, and the favored fighter of the age, Peng Leyun!


      Lou Cheng didn't stay and watch as it would be a taboo. Before he could turn around and look for his own spot, Peng Leyun suddenly stopped and raised his head to Lou Cheng's direction.


      In a split second, Lou Cheng felt two flashes shoot in front of him, lightening up the surroundings and driving off the mist.


      That was just his illusion. There was no flash but two beams of light from Peng Leyun's eyes.


      Two beams of light from his eyes in such a distance are so overwhelming!


      In a flash, Lou Cheng remembered one sign of the Taoist School Thunder Sect, Empty the Heart and Mind.


      A well trained martial artist has extremely vigorous vitality in his blood and qi. His mind is overbearing as if taking on a physical form that can spin his danqi in an empty dark room and create light.


      "Peng Leyun has already reached this level? Has he completed everything before the inhuman stage?" Lou Cheng's determination had been well tempered by the "Army" Formula, allowing him to remain calm in front of the sudden Empty the Heart and Mind. He didn't try to avoid the eyes or close his eyes subconsciously.


      He gazed at Peng Leyun and nodded with a smile, leaving his burning desire for fight obviously.


      The light in Peng Leyun's eyes faded. He also nodded with a faint smile as his response.


      No other communication was necessary. Peng Leyun carried on with his training and Lou Cheng ran to an isolated spot.


      Last winter, I came here and got my first lesson, beginning my martial arts journey. Now I'm back as a qualified rival!


      "Got it?" Shu Rui didn't expect to see the confrontation between Lou Cheng and Peng Leyun during this routine morning exercise. Her excitement could be told by her raised tone.


      What a rare material!


      "I didn't get the meeting of their eyes... We'll have to edit it somehow," said the cameraman with pity.


      "Okay! This is some real first-hand record! It will be great on TV!" Shu Rui held her fists tight.


      …


      After his morning exercise, Peng Leyun took his time to enjoy his breakfast before heading to the Martial Arts Club to meet Xu Wannian and Fang Zhirong doing some warm-up training.


      "Brother Peng, I heard those Songcheng University kids arrived last night, staying in Cinnamon Garden Hotel," said Xu Wannian enthusiastically.


      Peng Leyun smiled, "I saw Lou Cheng this morning."


      "You saw him? He also trained this morning? How was it? How was it like seeing him in person?" Xu Wannian shot many questions out in a row.


      Peng Leyun burst into a gentle smile. "Not bad... "


      His eyes turned blank.


      …


      At 2 pm, Lou Cheng and his mates entered the Shanbei University martial arts arena in their casual clothes.


      Built in the shape of a flying bird, this stadium was also called the Flying Bird Arena.


      It was still early but the arena was pretty full already. They were not rude at all when the Songcheng University team entered. Instead, they clapped and cheered as if in a party.


      This is the magnanimity of the champion! This is their absolute confidence!


      "It felt like they didn't care about us." Cai Zongming muttered as walking into the guest team locker room.


      Lou Cheng poked fun at him, "Don't you worry! They didn't mean it to you. They didn't even look at you. They probably don't know who you are."


      "Hmm... I'm the leading fighter on the bench!" Cai Zongming didn't feel offended.


      After putting their luggage away and changing into their martial arts suit in the bathroom, Geezer Shi sneered. "Let's decide the order now so we don't have to be bothered or distracted by it from building up energy."


      He turned to Yan Zheke, "Yan Girl, what place do you think Peng Leyun will play?"


      He used to address her by different names but it had fixed as "Yan Girl" since Lou Cheng officially became his disciple.


      Very used to this, she pursed her lips and answered, "I've checked about him. Peng Leyun is usually playing the last to give his teammates more opportunities to practice. There were a few times he played in the middle or in the beginning. The first time was two years ago during the national tournament against Huahai, Guangnan and the Capital. The second time was last year against the Capital."


      Li Mao nodded slowly.


      "So he won't show up early unless the rival is worth his attention."




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     332 Pros And Cons
      Li Mao's words sent everyone in the locker room into a dead silence, questioning themselves if Songcheng University Martial Arts Club was considered an important rival by Peng Leyun.


      Under the heavy air, Yan Zheke opened her mouth.


      "No matter what, he can't afford to despise us. So he won't be the last."


      "Why?" Sun Jian blurted out.


      Isn't it contradictory? Peng Leyun was the last one to fight last year against Huahai and Guangnan.


      Yan Zheke smiled elegantly and glanced at Lou Cheng. "Because Lou Cheng has the supernatural ability that can restraint the corvine mouth. Unless Shanbei wants to give us a free victory, they will put Xu Wannian to the last. He might still encounter Cheng but it would be an exhausted Cheng so he would have a bigger chance of scoring a win. Also, nobody knows if Cheng's lucky star could still protect him against the Corvine Mouth when worn out."


      No similar supernatural ability bearers can help with experiments. Even Lou Cheng himself can't give you an answer but he doesn't think it will be affected by his physical strength considering it is a result of the Jindan.


      Yan Zheke's explanation relived everyone from the tension and stress. They nodded their agreement.


      "So Xu Wannian will be the last. Do you think Peng Leyun would lead the attack or play it safe to first send Fang Zhirong to consume us?" Asked Li Mao, lost in his own thought.


      Cai Zongming waved. "Easy. Everybody can tell you without thinking."


      "Say it." Sun Jian and Lin Hua turned to Ming with surprise and expectation on their face while Lou Cheng shot a questioning glance at him.


      "Peng Leyun will either be the first or the second," said Talker seriously.


      Laughter burst out with some teeth grinding sound. Sun Jian was annoyed and amused. "You should be the first and use your gifted tongue to the full. We really want to Aruba you!"


      Aruba is a game where a boy will be lifted and carried towards a column with his legs open and then rubbed against the column as a mental and physical torture.


      "You guys are too stressed so I'll help you loosen up a bit. Don't hurt me, please!" Answered Cai Zongming with a smile which soon vanished when he noticed the sneer shared by Lou Cheng, Sun Jian and Li Mao. He quickly jumped back to the topic. "What I was trying to say is Peng Leyun being the first or the second has no impact on our order. Now we are sure Xu Wannian is to play the last, Lin Que should certain fight before Lou Cheng. Because Cheng has more advantages than Lin Que against Xu Wannian in case Fang Zhirong and Peng Leyun are dealt a defeat in turn."



      The first fighter of theirs will be kept to the last just like Xu Wannian in the other team or it will be a free round for the rival.


      "Right." Sun Jian thought about it and then nodded. "OK. We are not going to Aruba you."


      He Zi eyed at the seniors and listened carefully to their conversation. Shu Rui was denied access to the pre-match gathering by Geezer Shi to secure everyone's best form.


      Yan Zheke's silence since Li Mao's second question was then broken with a gentle smile.


      "Actually, both Cheng and I think Peng Leyun will play the second."


      "Why?" Lin Hua and Li Mao turned to Lou Cheng and her.


      Does this mean Peng Leyun attaches extra or little importance to us?


      Lou Cheng looked at Yan Zheke with a loving smile, waiting for her to continue.


      She pursed her lip together. "It's not about Peng Leyun but Fang Zhirong's personality and thought. He's a cool and arrogant loner. He was mentioned briefly during the discussion about the favored fighters of the age but then buried by predictions about Peng Leyun confronting Cheng and Lin Que for this match between Shanbei and Songcheng University. I'm sure he's not happy about it and desperately longing to prove himself. He will probably volunteer to be the first against Cheng or Lin Que in his best form, which Peng Leyun will most likely agree to since it makes no difference for him."


      "Considering Peng Leyun's strength and confidence in himself, sure he will agree." Lin Hua clapped with a sudden realization.


      "So very likely Shanbei will play in the order of Fang Zhirong, Peng Leyun, and then Xu Wannian." Sun Jian agreed.


      Yan Zheke looked about and took a deep breath upon seeing Lou Cheng's encouraging eyes before continuing,


      "It leaves us with two possible plans which each has its pros and cons."


      "If Lin Que plays the vanguard, he will be worn a lot during the round with Fang Zhirong so he won't be able to consume the Professional Six Pin Peng Leyun in the Dan stage. Then Cheng will confront Peng Leyun who might still have 80% of his strength. Cheng's chance of winning will not be high but in case he does defeat Peng, he will have a great mental advantage against Xu Wannian. If he can't defeat Peng Leyun, he will at least exhaust him to the extreme, giving our third fighter a chance to win."


      Xu Wannian is not strong enough to defeat a rival of the Professional Ninth Pin level with his Corvine Mouth even if it's close to his physical limit. He simply won't have the chance to talk.


      Lou Cheng is no longer the legend with unlimited physical strength. Xu Wannian won't change his mind.


      They pondered on Yan Zheke's words while waiting for her to explain the second plan. "If Lou Cheng takes the lead, he can take advantage of his physical strength and defeat Fang Zhirong with enough power left to drag Peng Leyun into a fierce fight, giving Lin Que a decent chance of a victory. It seems better than Plan A but the exhausted Peng Leyun still won't be an easy target and will probably cause big trouble to Lin Que, laying a solid foundation for the Corvine Mouth to score an easy victory. Xu Wannian in his good form can deal one of us a defeat with ease."


      She turned to Geezer Shi who had remained quiet all this time. "Coach Shi, please choose one."


      Geezer Shi coughed and then laughed,


      "Let's decide our third fighter first. Li Mao, you take the place."


      "Yes, Coach Shi!" Answered Li Mao, pleasantly surprised.


      Yan Zheke's face fainted slightly, blaming her menstruation.


      Since her physical attribute reached Professional Ninth Pin, her period had become very regular, rarely hastened or delayed. Tomorrow should be the first day and she prepared to fight today but she felt it was coming this afternoon under the great pressure from last year's champion team.


      Her body condition could handle a decent rival but Shanbei was a terrifying opponent whom they must exert themselves fully to strive for a win. She felt her weakened form and offered the great opportunity to the significantly improved Li Mao who was in his best form.


      Hopefully senior brother Li Mao won't be too nervous in the ring!


      As her mood shifted up and down, she felt some warmth streaming in from her palm. Lou Cheng quietly grabbed her hand.


      They locked eyes without a word.


      Geezer Shi cleared his throat and continued with a sneer,


      "Since the two plans both have pros and cons, we shall… "


      He chuckled before giving his decision.


      "Take a draw!"


      "Ahh? A draw?" Lou Cheng was stunned. So were other members.


      He can't be serious!


      ...


      In Shanbei University's locker room…


      The grey-haired middle-aged coach Huang Qing glanced at Xu Wannian, "You will be the last."


      A well experienced coach in the university martial arts circle, this Professional Eighth Pin coach in the Dan stage was widely known for his expertise in teaching young fighters. He had trained numerous students to the Professional Ninth Pin level or higher and over ten of his students were in the Dan stage. Many martial arts clubs and schools made him sweet offers but he chose to stay in the university circle for the atmosphere and fairly good wages. Staying out of the spotlight, his achievement had been shadowed by Peng Leyun's success in recent years.


      "Yes!" Xu Wannian sounded relieved and pleased.


      Before Huang Qing could continue, Fang Zhirong took a step forward abruptly.


      "Coach, I want to take the first round."


      Looking at the stubbornness in his eyes and the freckles on his face, Huang Qiang subconsciously threw a glance at Peng Leyun who had just returned to reality from a trance with a careless smile.


      "Okay. You'll take the lead." Huang Qing approved Fang Zhirong's request.


      This bad boy took a wrong path in his freshman year. Fortunately, he was corrected and instructed by Coach Huang in time and steadily improved to the Dan stage within a year, making the coach proud.


      Fang Zhirong nodded with strength and took a very deep breath, looking out of the window.


      I'll prove it! I'm also a favored fight of the age!


      …


      This year a large video website purchased the broadcast. So the match between Shanbei and Songcheng University was only available online.


      Brahma with two plaits hanging in front of her chest with snacks piled on the desk, completely lured by the broadcast, listening to the host and the guest commentator, an advanced Dan stage grandpa Zhang He.


      "Thanks to senior Zhang's analysis, now I know the key of today's match is not if Songcheng University can win over Shanbei but if Lou Cheng and Lin Que can team up and defeat Peng Leyun," said the host with excitement.


      Many comments popped up on the screen above his head.


      "I don't think so."


      "Le, go for it! Prove that they are not qualified to be the favored fighters of the era!"


      "A Professional Sixth Pin fighter's physical strength is way beyond average. Peng Leyun does have a decent chance of defeating the two of them!"


      "Fans of the Shangqing Sect check in!"


      "Wuyue Club is not concerned. Lou Cheng will create another miracle!"


      Apparently, Peng Leyun's supporters had the advantage. Brahma pulled her plaits with anger and turned off the pop-up comment.


      She was just so pissed off!


      I better not read this!


      …


      In the Capital College Martial Arts Club office, members gathered together in front of the projector.


      "The manager is still not here?" The delicate and pretty looking Shen You was very concerned.


      A cute girl with big cheeks let out an ah sound before answering, "Sister said she would come over by herself. She… She asked me not to wait for her… "


      Shen You covered her face. "Damn! She must be lost again. I'll give her a call. You guys watch."


      …


      In the joyful atmosphere, Yan Xiaoling and Mu Jinnian felt rather terrified until Geezer Shi came out, followed by Lou Cheng and Lin Que. They immediately pulled themselves together and shook off fear, blowing their cheering horns.


      As the two teams settled in their dedicated area, an high-ranked Dan Stage referee stepped into the ring. The announcement for the first round came out.


      "Round One. Fang Zhirong… "


      The announcer paused on purpose to give Fang Zhirong a moment to enjoy the cheers and applause.


      Then he continued in a flat tone.


      "Versus Lin Que."


      A focal fight was about to start.




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     333 Poisonous Force
      Three o'clock in the afternoon. December 21st.


      In the center of the ring, the referee announced loudly,


      "Competition between Shanbei University Martial Arts Club and Songcheng University Martial Arts Club, round one."


      "Fang Zhirong versus Lin Que!"


      As the voice resounded, Lin Que and Fang Zhirong rose to their feet at the same time as if they had been waiting for a long time.


      Maybe it was out of habit or under the influence of the environment, Lin Que didn't head directly toward the ring. Instead, he fist-bumped his teammates from left to right, with the crowd cheering.


      When he came to the Coach, Geezer Shi, he coughed. He was not excited like the young people and spoke only one word.


      "Easy."


      Easy... Lin Que repeated the word silently, a bit of a glint in his dark eyes.


      He turned and left the seats. He stepped up the stone stairs along the path of the defending champion. Horns blared out an incessant and deafening sound, welcoming Fang Zhirong to the ring.


      Fang Zhirong was a small shy boy of average height with fine, delicate features. His eyes were wild as if a proud, sharp soul was hidden deep within his body.


      Standing to the right of the referee, he looked sharply at Lin Que, eyes burning with eagerness for the fight.


      Not giving any impression of weakness, Lin Que stared back at him, eyes burning.


      To be able to defeat a professional opponent was what every fighter wanted and dreamt about!


      Seeing such scene on the ring, the presenters couldn't help but say,


      "Last September, they were both highly respected talented fighters, but they've never played against each other. One is overshadowed by Peng Leyun while the other was overtaken by Lou Cheng and a miracle gave a dull gray tinge to his everything. Both have had some losses and frustrations. Today, this fight must have a winner and a loser. Well, a tie cannot be ruled out. All in all, the winner will regain his glory while the loser will fall into depression and suffer greater frustrations and pressures. Elder Zhang, who do you favor?"


      "It's hard to say." Zhang He shook his head, not giving a judgment. "It has been only a few months since they've entered the Dan stage. Both are making astonishing progress now. How many Fighting Sect moves has Lin Que acquired? Has there been any significant breakthrough in his 'Meteor force'? What Fang Zhirong has learned from the damaged Dark Sect, Plague Sect and Magnetism Sect still remain unknown to the outside. That's to say, they know little about each other. This game will be full of changes."



      When the presenter started chatting with guests, the referee looked to his left and right, then stretched out his hand, announcing,


      "The talk time starts."


      Fang Zhirong smiled shyly, but his eyes were burning with aggression. He said,


      "When I was still a freshman in university, I often heard your name and people always compare me with you. I thought it was somewhat inevitable that I would play against you. But the club manager awoke the supernatural ability, 'Corvine Mouth', so I lost the chance. But now, I can play you finally!"


      At this point, without hesitation and showing no modesty or courtesy, he said,


      "We'll see who is stronger, who is more in name than in reality!"


      "We'll see who is the favored fighter of the age!"


      "I've been waiting for this day since August. Waiting for this fight to prove myself!"


      Hearing his provocative and irritating words, Lin Que did not even blink. He stood silently with a poker-face, preparing and calculating.


      Knowing Lin Que's usual behavior, Fang Zhirong didn't care much. After speaking his mind, he felt relieved. It had adjusted his body slightly, shifting the local magnetic field and lifting his spirit towards a climax.


      As the talk time was about to end, Lin Que opened his mouth, and replied in a cold voice,


      "Unfortunately, you're not Peng Leyun."


      Unfortunately, you're not Peng Leyun... You mean I'm not qualified? Am I still a long way from Peng Leyun? The last thing he wanted to admit was that Peng Leyun was better. So he raged with a sense of inferiority hidden deep in his heart, just like a wildcat whose tail had been stepped on with it's pupils constricted and hackles rising, ready to attack the opponent and rip him up.


      Sooner or later, I'll defeat Peng Leyun. Sooner or later, I'll exceed him!


      And it begins with you!


      Fang Zhirong was still thinking and suppressed his emotion, the referee raised his right hand and sliced the air with a snap, saying,


      "Begin!"


      Lin Que was incredibly perceptive when it came to grasping the psychology of the opponent and using time wisely, proving himself a top student in the School of Psychology.


      However, when it comes to psychology, even the best doctor can't cure himself, and also has resistance to other's treatment.


      With a pang of rage, Fang Zhirong arched his back, winding his way near the ground and came to the opponent. So fast and so strange was his footwork that no one could predict where he would place his feet.


      Although Lou Cheng's footwork was excellent, it was not as good as Fang Zhirong's.


      Despite the fury, Fang Zhirong was still a battle-hardened fighter. He'd seen the last couple of Lin Que's games and was impressed by his Blitzkrieg by taking advantage of the Dan Stage, so he didn't even give him a chance to use it.


      Unruffled, Lin Que didn't start aggressively. With control he moved his muscles and fascia, walked in Yu Step, and came to Fang Zhirong, facing his attack without dodging.


      The wind blew in the ring. Both walked around and past each other, seeking and waiting for the right time to attack. However, such a moment was always covered by the opponent when it occurred. Therefore, they didn't touch for about ten seconds. It was as if they were performing a dance.


      As the old saying goes, "the insider knows the ropes, while the outsider just comes along for the ride." While the audience was a little upset because they saw no hand-to-hand combat, Lou Cheng merely watched attentively.


      There was a clear divide in the footwork between Lin Que and Fang Zhirong. One had smart turns and moved like a shooting star, attempting to win by speed and adroitness; the other turned and twisted, unpredictable and tricky like a ghost in the night.


      Of course, both of them didn't get anywhere in this aspect and were not as strong as Qiu Lin. The girl had gotten herself to a "Lotus Step, Thundercloud Movement" realm by practicing her family moves.


      Lin Que had brought his Yu Step to the level of "To Tread Dubhe and Alkaid". Among every step, he was escorted by the "Dubhe Wind" and rapid crackle which was roughly comparable.


      As they wheeled around for a while and got closer, Lin Que and Fang Zhirong took their opportunity at almost the same time. Before they could use strength and explode "Dan Qi", one moved his shoulder, swung his forearms rapidly, and threw lightning-fast punches; the other pumped up his back, slid forward, and punched as quick as illusions in the night.


      BANG!


      Both were intercepted by each other. The two punches collided in the air, making the first thudding noise since the beginning of the game.


      Seeing the two punches stop in midair, Fang Zhirong moved his elbow joint magically as if it was dislocated. He raised his forearm like a poisonous snake. It climbed up Lin Que's arm with his five fingers spreading and snatched at his arm, strong, fast and accurate.


      At this moment, Fang Zhirong' fingers with their slight black overtones looked like poisonous fangs, about to inject the deathly substance into Lin Que's body.


      Dark Sect, "Dark Poison Force"!


      This force, also called "Plague Poison Force" initially came from the Plague Sect and had been acquired by the founder of "Dark Infinite Sutra". He integrated it into what he had learned, making it one of the core forces in the Dark Sect. Compared to the original, it was less toxic but trickier to execute. If Lin Que was hit by this force, he would be poisoned unless he stopped it with an explosion of force.


      Considering Fang Zhirong's current ability, his "Dark Poison Force" wouldn't be a fatal blow to Lin Que. But at least it would make him suffer all kinds of effects. It would cause dizziness, difficulty breathing and weaken him considerably. "Poison" would accumulate over time and Lin Que would eventually fail to endure it.


      Just like sharp teeth, his fingers were about to bite, too fast to avoid.


      Immediately, Lin Que's arm muscle tightened and contracted inward, so close to the bone that Fang Zhirong's "Poison teeth" missed its target and hit the air.


      This tightening and contraction were not normal, but performed through Lin Que's "Force Concentration"!


      Almost immediately, instead of attempting to snatch at his opponent's wrist, he erupted Dan Qi, and pressed his left foot hard against the ground.


      The 16th move of the Fighting Sect, Earth Cracking!


      BANG!


      The sound burst out from the ring. The ground under Fang Zhirong cracked suddenly and a force rushed up like a volcanic eruption.


      Lin Que had made a lot progress in this move!


      With an acute pain in his feet, he couldn't help but withdraw his leg. He lost his balance and his body jolted.


      During this process, he put his right hand up and, spreading his fingers, he let go of Lin Que's arm, failing to grasp him again or inject the poison.


      Eyes flaring, Lin Que seized the chance and started serial moves!


      Fang Zhirong neither dodged nor avoided footwork as his body shook. He didn't use Force Concentration or make his qi and blood flow back to steady himself and resist the attack. As he staggered, he shifted his weight, moved his shoulder and threw his right hand, aiming at Lin Que's arm with the back of his hand before Lin Que could withdraw it back.


      As he visualized in his mind, the black tone around his fingers disappeared quickly and a bluish color appeared around his hand.


      BAM!


      Lin Que was about to attack when the back of Fang Zhirong's hand grazed his forearm. He had no time to avoid it. It was as if he'd been fractured and hit squarely on the chin. He felt unbelievably sharp pain and everything went black.


      Just a graze could deliver such strong pain!


      Plague Sect, Move 27, Scorpion Tail Needle!


      Fang Zhirong's effort in these last few months had paid off. He had acquired not only Force but also two unique moves!


      This blow hadn't used the poison of the "Dark Poison Force" to its full power, but it could generate an unusually irritating and painful feeling and affect the opponent considerably!


      Despite the extreme pain, Lin Que's right hand hadn't actually been injured, but it hurt every time he attempted a force. It felt as if his hand was broken.


      At this moment, Fang Zhirong staggered and retreated a few steps.


      Lin Que knew that this thrill could be soothed by contracting qi and blood, Force and Spirit. But it meant a waste of a chance to use Dan stage explosion. So he gritted his teeth and bore the pain, with resilience.


      His face turned pale, and he had cold sweat on his forehead.




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     334 Minds and Reality
      Lin Que tried to bear with the extreme pain but Fang Zhirong was not ready to relax yet.


      For this competition, he had watched a lot of videos of the strong Dan stage fighters of the Shushan Study. He had a deep impression of their scary combination moves. Hence, though he had just hurt his feet and lost his balance, he remembered those fights and he quickly whipped out his "Scorpion Tail Needle" move. He did not want to fall any closer into the jaws of defeat.


      Initially, he wanted to use the moves of the "Plague Sect" at the most critical moment when Lin Que was suffering from tremendous pain to score his victory. However, now it had to be prematurely displayed. Not only did he lose the surprise factor but his body had to undergo a substantial amount of stress!


      This was because he had fallen for the provocation of his opponent and was fighting with increasingly risky moves! Fang Zhirong was feeling frustrated and annoyed, but he tried to control his feelings and once again lowered his stance. He started to circle Lin Que in meandering curves. He did not attempt to attack and did not give his opponent the chance to use "Force Concentration" to relieve his pain.


      A fighter would have to use energy to try to distract himself or to try to overcome the pain. So Fang Zhirong wanted to prolong this process so as to tire Lin Que out, or even make him live with the pain!


      In the midst of his movements, he seemed to be limping. This was because the sole of his right foot had received a blow during the earlier "Earth Cracking" movement. It was bruised. If it was not for his shoe which acted as a barrier, he would probably be more severely injured right now.


      In this short exchange, both sides were already suffering from injuries!


      At this moment, the guest commentator in the live broadcasting studio, Zhang He, took the opportunity to explain a couple of the technical terms he had thrown out earlier.


      "'Dark Poison Force' is a core force of the Dark Sect. It has a strange toxic nature. No matter where the target is, it would leave the effects of being bitten by a snake. As for the effects after being 'poisoned', it would depend on where Fang Zhirong is directing it towards. Different fighters from the Dark Sect would have different 'Dark Poison Force". Some would cause hallucinations, some would cause breathlessness, and others dizziness... 'Scorpion Tail Needle' is a Dan stage move from the 'Plague Sect'. It's a move that had a number of paralyzing effects and it would amplify any pain multiple times... "



      The host who was listening to the commentary was somewhat stunned and he exclaimed, "Senior Zhang, is this true? But Fang Zhirong doesn't have any supernatural abilities. How did he manage to train such a force and move? "


      For Dan stage fighters without supernatural abilities, when they are trying to enter the inhuman level, before their root pulp changes, they would need to align their muscles with their mental state, including the five viscera and six bowels, before they could create any special moves and effects. Even then, the moves would not be too strong. For example, normal Dan stage fighters of the Ice Sect would not be able to execute "Frost Force" as powerfully as Lou Cheng, not to mention even being able to perform it.


      But after hearing Senior Zhang's commentary, the impact of Fang Zhirong's force and moves was felt even more keenly!


      Zhang He chuckled and said, "He must have taken some medicine or booster to help with his training. Just like how fighters trained for the Poison Palm. Such force and moves would only work if the opponent is hit at a specific place. It would weaken each time, and it is necessary to retrain it after every competition. At the same time, it would place a heavy burden on the body and cause substantial injury. Some become slower in breaking through their physical limits while others have bodies that are not as strong as those of the same level. This will happen because their root pulp is affected. Only then will there be a reaction and improvements... Only then would the body recover bit by bit... "


      While he talked, Fang Zhirong saw that Lin Que was already starting to get used to the pain. Hence, he stopped circling him. In one move, Fan Zhirong tightened his body and started to attack with his fists and feet. He tried to make use of this moment or he would lose the opportunity to win.


      This was the move that made him famous when he was a Ninth Pin Professional fighter. It came from his Plague Sect's "Prolonged Illness", the ultimate skill of the "Nine Illness Hits". The word "Tangle" would spring out and close in on the opponent from all directions. This meant that anyone facing this move cannot escape and could only make a stance — as though the person had contracted various illnesses and could only painstakingly wait for recovery.


      Pam pam pam, bam bam bam! Fang Zhirong repeated went for Lin Que's right hand and did not give him any good opportunity to use the "Force Concentration" to retaliate. At this moment, Fang Zhirong had the upper hand, and although Mu Jinnian and Yan Zheke were at different places, they both had the same worried expression on their faces.


      As he calculated and estimated how long before the pain would subside, Fang Zhirong quieted down, suddenly revealing an opening.


      Lin Que had waited for quite some time. Without any hesitation, he took in a deep breath to absorb all his pain into his qi, blood, and spirit.


      Poom!


      Like a volcano, Lin Que erupted. His danqi was exploding everywhere. His right arm swelled, and his right fist became a hammer, swinging ferociously at his opponent. It cracked through the air like a plane flying through the clouds.


      They were too close to each other. He did not have enough time and space to expand into the "Meteor Blast"!


      Although he was about to face such a force, Fang Zhirong did not panic. He used his Force Concentration and sat steadily like he was in a gold carriage.


      Pam! He took a large stride forward, making his body larger than it was. He swung his fist confidently. "Raise the Fire, Burn the Sky"!


      Bam! The sound of an explosion echoed throughout the arena. The two fists froze in midair and Fang Zhirong's legs sank down. The martial arts shoes that were already torn earlier broke apart. Lin Que did not move an inch, he erupted twice continuous and delivered another "Earth Cracking" blow.


      Then, Lin Que suddenly sensed a strange suction force from his opponent's fist. Then he realized that his pull back from the punch was actually getting slower!


      Magnetism Sect? His mind started to churn. He took in a breath and started to shake and vibrate his muscles. Not only did he stop pulling back his fist, he went with the suction force and with the "Yin-yang Twist" skill, he used Fang Zhirong's suction force to hit Fang Zhirong!


      Seeing his move, Fang Zhirong did not panic, in fact, he was pleased. His face turned red, and with a turn and a shake of his wrist, it transformed into a push force, slowing Lin Que's attack.


      With this slow down, there were sounds of an explosion within Fang Zhirong, like there were turbines turning crazily inside him.


      He controlled his body and within a split second, he changed his internal magnetic field to "influence" each other, "affect" each other, accumulating a terrifying explosive force.


      "Magnetism Sect", "Turn of Two Ends", the turn of the magnetic field!


      Bam, with a sound, his fist split the air in front of him and like a piston, charged towards Lin Que.


      This move, even without the "Force Concentration", was almost as strong as a Dan stage explosion!


      With the Inhuman level, he would have stronger control; his physical body would have changed. Without the need for more visualization, he could complement this move with "Force Concentration", multiplying the explosive force of the Dan stage. Of course, this also meant that the burden on him would be multiplied just as much.


      Fang Zhirong used medication to help him train his force and moves. This had damaged his body and affected the number of times he could execute "Force Concentration". It was less than the average Dan stage fighters. He could only erupt twice continuously once, so he practiced hard for the ultimate move, so as to make up for his weakness. However, during normal situations, there would usually be insufficient time during a battle to let him use this move whenever he wanted to.


      For now, he wanted to exhaust Lin Que's Dan stage explosions, and to increase Lin Que's anxiety as he was already worried about the next fight. Like this, Lin Que would probably make mistakes during the fight and he would have the opportunity to strike.


      As for himself, he was not in a hurry at all. With Peng Leyun next, no one would be in a hurry!


      Due to the short distance, Fan Zhirong's fist was so powerful that Lin Que could not avoid it. This forced him to use either the "Force Concentration" to harden his stance or allow himself to be hit and pushed to the line of defeat.


      Lin Que's eyes started to darken. He raised both of his arms and relaxed his wrists — one in a push position, one in a pull position.


      He chose not to release his Dan stage force at this moment!


      Bam!


      Fang Zhirong's fist seemed to have sunk into a mud swamp. With the "guidance" and push from his opponent, he lost some attacking force and his punch fizzled out. He was unable to release all his strength.


      Pam, Pam, Pam! Lin Que moved back three steps. His balance shook a little but his body was not agile enough.


      "This is the moment!" Fang Zhirong noticed the good opportunity and with a large step forward, his right hand reached out with his fingers extended. He grabbed Lin Que's left arm, and with a dark flash, injected his force.


      He finally had the chance to use his "Dark Poison Force"!


      Seeing that he got his way, Fang Zhirong's heart leaped a little. Just as he was about to attack again, he suddenly noticed that Lin Que's eyes were expressionless, in fact, they seemed to have expected his move!


      Lin Que took in a breath and his body started to tremble. All the muscles seemed to twist in unrest.


      His right hand hurriedly reached out, his five fingers stretched out and were already black with poison at their tips.


      Ji Family's "Yin-Yang Twist"!


      He returned the "Dark Poison Force" with another "Dark Poison Force"!


      Lin Que's fingers latched on to Fang Zhirong, and he returned half of the "Dark Poison Force" to its owner.


      Immediately, Fang Zhirong started to feel short of breath. Although he had some resistance against some of these poisons but to take so much at one go, he would definitely be hurt.


      As for Lin Que, he was still far from releasing all the toxins from his body due to the short distance of the "Yin-Yang Twist". He still had a great amount of poison in his body and his strength was leaving him. However, he was already prepared, so once he hit Fang Zhirong, he immediately activated his "Force Concentration", and minimized whatever negative effects the poison had. While Fang Zhirong was still trying to recover, Lin Que took the opportunity to "explode" the human body big dan and accumulate his force. He swung back his arm and with swollen muscles, he charged.


      Boom!


      The air between the two fighters exploded and a huge force rushed towards Fang Zhirong.


      Fighting Sect, Move 127, Meteor Blast!


      Just as Lin Que was about to punch, Fang Zhirong contracted his pupils. He did not dare to slack back and quickly used his "Force Concentration" to gather his qi and blood at his Dantian with the explosive force at his arms.


      He lifted his arms and blocked the aggressive blow.


      But Lin Que started to launch attacks consecutively. He was not going to let Fang Zhirong off easily. He did Force Concentration and then he let go, before stomping his left foot on the ground hard.


      Fighting Sect's "Earth Cracking", Double Explosion! One after the other!


      Bam! A sound rumbled in his body and the floor started to crack. Fang Zhirong was too focused on protecting his head, he neglected his feet. When the attack injured the soles of his feet, his body swayed again. He had no choice but to enter the Dan realm again, getting his qi and blood back to maintain his balance.


      At this point, Lin Que made a step forward. He went very close to Fang Zhirong and leaned against his shoulder. Then, with a stretch of his arm, Lin Que conveniently blocked Fang Zhirong's elbow joint and stopped him from making any further moves.


      Almost immediately after he locked Fang Zhirong in position, Lin Que took in a deep breath and visualized a scene of the meteor shower. He flew up and with Fang Zhirong facing down, he slammed onto the ground!


      Triple Explosion!


      Fighting Sect, Tenth Move, "Doomed Death"!


      Bam! Dust flew everywhere. Fang Zhirong was on the ground and lost his ability to fight back for the moment.


      Lin Que lowered his body, his arm relaxed and with a spring of his forearm, he pressed against the throat of his opponent.


      The referee lifted his right arm and announced loudly,


      "Lin Que wins!"


      Songcheng Univeristy Martial Arts Club had won!


      Hearing this, Mu Jinnian jumped up immediately and cheered.


      "Hooray!"


      Lin Que was so awesome!


      Lou Cheng, Yan Zheke and the rest were relieved and happy but they were still not too excited because the competition was not over yet. There were more hurdles to jump over!




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     335 A Light Sketch
      In the broadcast room, the guest commentator, Zhang He was praising Lin Que's earlier attacks.


      "If you look at these three moves individually, it shows a brilliant use of force and skill. The way they complement each other; ay, these complementary moves, are a perfect combination. There is a continuous flowing force, like rain flowing through the clouds, one after another, never giving Fang Zhirong the chance to retaliate. Lin Que has certainly scored those few points with the Fighting Sect's essence.


      "Till the very end, Fang Zhirong didn't manage to struggle free. One was because his arm was held; two was because his joint was restricted from moving. And three, Lin Que must have given him a blow that affected him deeply, into his bones. This paralyzed him and he was not able to make another move. That is why we call this move, 'Doomed Death'.


      "The moment when Lin Que grabbed Fang Zhirong — take a close look at his fingers. There is evidence of 'Dark Poison Force'. This should be the ultimate move of the Fighting Sect's 'Swirling Star". If I guessed right, it's probably Ji Family's 'Yin-Yang Twist'. Risky move, very risky. At the stage that Lin Que was at, it was a risky move...


      "At the end, Lin Que held back on his force. With that move, he held his opponent down, jumped and hit the ground. If he didn't control his energy, given the physical condition of Fang Zhirong, he would have been badly injured. If he was unlucky, and his spine had hit a sharp stone, he would be paralyzed by now...


      "Ay, this Fang Zhirong. How should I put this? Other people take a day before they start getting impatient. Him? Only one move and he completely forgot to be careful. He was too anxious to win. He was too eager."


      Hearing Old Mr. Zhang's explanation, many lines appeared on the screen.


      "Gosh, Lin Que looked so good when he pushed the other guy to the floor!"


      "I can feel the blood pumpin' through my veins!"


      "That moment, that sound, when Fang Zhirong hit the floor! OMG! I'm burning!!"


      "This is what we call a battle. This is what we call martial arts."


      "That miserable one earlier? But I'm a supporter of Shanbei!"


      "The way that Fang Zhirong was thrown on to the ground made me, a fervent reader of novels, think about an expression — a bullied, torn rag doll... "



      "Ay, seems like Fang Zhirong is off the team now. He's probably out of the race for the overall championship too."


      "Can't even beat Lin Que. Trash!"


      "Damn! Is this rigged... Just look at the betting odds!"


      "To think that I backed him so much. Really, soft mud would never become a wall!"


      ...


      The disappointment was apparent on everyone's faces in the audience. "Losing" was not something that everyone enjoyed seeing. But, as the supporters of the defending champions, with the gripping experience and battles all these time, they still managed to keep their cool and gave heartfelt applause for Lin Que. The applause was for his performance and effort.


      Facing Mu Jinnian's agitated and excited shouts, they also held their cool. When Yan Xiaoling saw this, she could not help but be stunned by it. Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind: Maybe Shanbei did not have many supporters to start with, and all these people must be hired performers."


      Uh, great sportsmanship. So, this means I can just be unrestrained later! She thought to herself silently.


      In the midst of the applause, the Shanbei students subconsciously looked towards the seats where the chairperson was seated. They were waiting for the "king" of this stadium to raise his "staff", sit on the "throne" and to say a few words to comfort everyone.


      Since he entered university, he had never lost once!


      Peng Leyun looked towards the arena. Unhurriedly, he pulled down the zipper of his sweater. He took off the winter coat, revealing the martial arts suit inside.


      Shanbei's traditional martial arts suit is pure white — quite similar to Songcheng University's white with black trimmings. With such a similar outfit, it would be difficult to differentiate one from the other. This puts the broadcasting people in a spot. So, the defending champion had to put on their backup uniform — black.


      Decked in mysterious black made Peng Leyun's skin look so fair, like white jade. It was like there was some dull shine, making his whole aura seem purer than ever, like a god.


      At the chest area of his martial arts suits, there were two embroidered crowns. This represented that Shanbei had two championship wins at the National University Martial Arts Competition — two years ago, there were none at all!


      Under the watchful eyes of the spectators, Peng Leyun straightened his clothes, collected his thoughts and with focused eyes, he stood up.


      The moment he stood up, the whole arena roared. Countless cheers reverberated,


      "Champion!"


      …


      On the arena, Lin Que released Fang Zhirong and stepped back two steps. He opened his mouth and started to take huge breaths of air like the air was thin and had little oxygen. This was because he had used up too much of his energy and fatigue was starting to set in. This was also because of the remnants of the "Dark Poison Force", which continued to affect his body.


      — "Dark Poison Force" contains toxins. Although its impact and pain could be resolved with "Force Concentration" there would be some after effects. The toxins would have to be removed from the body slowly with each metabolic cycle. If a fighter received such a big blow and did not have a strong enough body, he would need medication before he could recover.


      When Lin Que was not using "Force Concentration" to fight against Fang Zhirong's "Turn of Two Ends", he was already risking it and was using the "Dark Poison Force". He wanted to use the "Yin-Yang Twist" to catch his rival off guard. This was because he felt that the combination of the Dark Sect and Plague Sect was crafty and toxic, just a small distraction would cause a mistake and that meant that he would lose the competition. If that was the case, he would rather take the initiative to create the opportunity for victory. Even if it meant that he had to pay a hefty price, he would still go for it.


      Against a rival like Fang Zhirong, it was impossible to win without pain, without paying a price!


      Although Geezer Shi had reminded him time and time again before the match started that he should not rush, Lin Que eventually trusted his own instinct and judgment when it came to the battle.


      Fang Zhirong struggled to stand. In his eyes were all fire and fury. He was angry with his opponent and even angrier with himself.


      If he had not been too pleased with himself after he had hit Lin Que's body with the "Dark Poison Force", if he had not been too greedy to hit Lin Que one more time, he would not have been injured by the "Swirling Star"! If only he followed the usual strategy of withdrawal and not give his opponent the opportunity to retaliate while waiting for the poison to take full effect!


      In that case, Lin Que would not only lose one round of exploding his Dan stage to neutralize the poison, he would also be weaker by quite a bit. This meant that he would have been so close to victory!


      Regret and pain pricked Wang Zhirong's heart like twining vines with thorns. This made him lose his composure. He turned and exited the arena in an unsteady manner. It was like the fury in his body would explode at any time.


      He could already imagine what kind of comments would appear on the forums. Thinking about these, he got even more upset and embarrassed. He felt even more regret, more fury, and pain!


      On his way back, Fang Zhirong met Peng Leyun. However, he was completely immersed in his own world. Fang Zhirong did not notice Peng Leyun, or rather, he did not want to notice Peng Leyun.


      Walking past each other, they made no further effort to interact. Peng Leyun took in a small breath and shook off the little bit of unhappiness that he was feeling. He smiled and walked to the stone steps. He climbed the steps. He did not release any other air or power, but with just the aura he was giving off, Lin Que subconsciously held his breath.


      The name of the person, the shadow of the tree, the favored fighter of this age, naturally his aura would be overpowering!


      Amongst the spectators, Lou Cheng, Yan Zheke and the rest had focused expressions. They stopped cheering. They fell silent and solemn.


      Since he had executed the "Force Concentration", followed by the "Triple Explosion", with the remnants of the "Dark Poison Force" in his body, how much more can Lin Que take? How much more could Lin Que fight to challenge the reigning champion?


      In the midst of the oppressive atmosphere, only Geezer Shi was nagging and talking to himself. "This rascal never listens. Told him so many times, don't rush, don't rush. He had to rush like that. If it was not because Fang Zhirong got agitated by him and also panicked, he would have lost. If Fang Zhirong was more rational and clear-minded, this rascal would have no chance. Ay... never listening to his elders. Ay, ay. "


      He did not want him to suffer a loss!


      …


      In the midst of the deafening cheers of "Champion", Peng Leyun and Lin Que stood on either side of the referee, in their positions.


      The referee did not wait any longer. He announced loudly,


      "Round Two. Fight! "


      As "Fight" was still echoing in the air, the qi and blood around Lin Que started to contract and expand, pumping quickly. Everyone thought that Lin Que would use the avoidance tactic and try to preserve his energy while trying to tire Peng Leyun. It was only logical that he would wait for the critical moment before he allowed his Dan stage to explode again.


      Bam! The ground below Lin Que's feet seemed to have exploded. Millions of shards flew everywhere. His entire body had transformed into a speeding heavy duty truck. With a loud bang and an aggressive posture, he bulldozed towards his rival like he was ready to flatten everything in between them.


      However, just as he took a step, it was like Peng Leyun had already expected this move. Peng Leyun's qi and blood gathered and thickened. He lowered his waist into a sitting position and started to sway. He was like a cloud, natural and harmonious; ready to bounce out anytime, ready to face the attack, not moving a single inch.


      With this sway, a shadow seemed to appear in the air. It was like a split second after Peng Leyun made his move that he had already arrived in front of Lin Que.


      Bam!


      With a stomp of his foot, he shook the entire arena. Everyone in the spectator seats, Lou Cheng and Li Mo all felt the power and force of thousands of galloping horses. They saw Peng Leyun strike a pose with his arm at the back and with a lightning strike; he threw a powerful fist out.


      The 36th stroke of the Thunder Sect, "Flash Attack"!


      Lin Que quickly stopped and tried to turn the moving force into strength. The muscles around his body swelled. With a raised arm, the fist became like a bomb and there was a spark of electricity.


      He knew Peng Leyun had the "Flash Attack", but he did not expect that his rival would have predicted his moves!


      Boom!


      The "Meteor" exploded. The air currents turned into waves, crashing into Peng Leyun, trying to drown him. The champion, simply hit back with one fist, and dispersed the waves, swooped through like a tornado and hit Lin Que's left fist dead on.


      The ringing sound was muffled by the loudness of the explosion. Lin Que's body bent backward. He seemed like he had trouble holding on and was about to retreat. Then he used the "Force Concentration" again, stabilized his qi and blood and regained control over his balance. He steadied his stance, took a step with his right foot and looked ready.


      Almost at the same time, Peng Leyun entered the Dan realm, his left leg swelled and he channeled a force down the soles of his feet.


      Bam!


      The arena rumbled from within, but the tiles did not crack!


      Lin Que's "Earth Cracking" was just easily neutralized like that!


      Peng Leyun borrowed the rebound force; he straightened his body and stretched out his hands to grab his rival's shoulders.


      Lin Que only felt a piercing pain through his shoulders. He quickly raised his arms and tried to hold his stance. At this point, every vein and vessel of Peng Leyun were bulging and rippling under his skin like snakes and dragons. It was obvious that he possessed great strength. With a move of his waist and back, he flowed smoothly behind his rival, like a quiet river. His grip never changed but he moved in an arc and avoided Lin Que's move.


      Peng Leyun's arms pressed down and he applied force to his fingers, numbing Lin Que's body. Lin Que was paralyzed, almost collapsing like jelly.


      The referee raised his right hand and announced loudly,


      "The second round, Peng Leyun wins!"


      Three moves, exactly, and Peng Leyun won!


      Lin Que recovered a little and turned to look at Peng Leyun. His eyes were filled with mixed feelings while his opponents were calm and relaxed. He said in a low voice,


      "Thank you."


      Thank you for not cutting me any slack and fighting me with your full force!


      Peng Leyun smiled gently. He did not look like he had just fought a battle.


      In the midst of the spectators, Lou Cheng exhaled deeply and took off his jacket.


      These four plus months of training, rounds, and rounds of scenario practices and discussions with Yan Zheke, all these flashed past his mind.


      So, are we finally going to start?




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     336 Fire And Thunder
      Was it about to start at last?


      In preparation for this moment, he had waited for over four months and even given up his chance in the Ranking Event!


      Stretching out his hand to grasp Yan Zheke's, Lou Cheng suddenly stood up, turning his gaze past the glorious road and into the ring above.


      When the audience around them noticed his actions, they let out a satisfied sigh. While admiring the "king" in Flying Bird Stadium, as he easily beat his opponents, they shouted in unison and sincerely cried out:


      "Number one!"


      The top-ranked fighter of the University martial arts circle!


      Hearing their praises, Mu Jinnian could not help biting her lip and stamping her foot as she looked in distress at Lin Que.


      She was just so pissed off!


      What a bully! Our Lin Que had just finished a tough match!


      On the live website interface, there was a fierce discussion taking place.


      "Only three strikes?"


      "Peng Leyun actually defeated Lin Que right after warming up!"


      "It seems that Lin Que is just so-so and not really qualified to be called another candidate for the favored fighter of this age."


      "Peng Leyun is really a gifted touchstone!"


      "Beaten in three strikes? So what! Lin Que just defeated Fang Zhirong, and it consumed a lot of his strength. Don't forget he was still suffering from the 'Dark Poison Force' impact, and is nearly two ranks lower than Peng Leyun! After all that, losing after three strikes doesn't mean anything!"


      "Fool! As you said, he is still two ranks lower than Peng Leyun! Is he still a candidate for the favored fighter of the age?"


      "Yes, he is! Lin Que is a year younger and a grade lower than Peng Leyun. Naturally, he is much more talented. He will catch up sooner or later!"


      "Catch up? Can he rise two pins in a year? Can he become a strong Sixth Pin by this time next year? I think it'd be difficult. No, it's almost impossible!"


      ...



      There were a lot of spectators who supported Peng Leyun, and there were quite a few who supported Lin Que. The young warriors who were competitive, handsome, cold, and elegant were always popular. Both sides quarreled so fiercely that the heated discussion almost covered up their upper images.


      "Senior Zhang, what do you think, is the distance between Lin Que and Peng Leyun really that large?" the host asked the commentary guests the moment Lou Cheng came on stage.


      Zhang He laughed. "The gap is certainly there. Peng Leyun is a year ahead, but if Lin Que catches up to him, then he will not be called the favored fighter of the age. As to how wide the gap is... That will have to wait until Lin Que fights with Peng Leyun in good condition. As for this round, if Lin Que hadn't been so injured, he would not have lost within three strikes."


      "Are you trying to say that selecting Lin Que was a mistake? That it was too daring and risky?" the host asked sharply.


      Zhang He shook his head and replied steadily, "It's hard to say. I tend to believe that the Dark Poison Force's impact on Lin Que was significant—his consumption was great, his physical strength had declined severely, and his ability to resist was weakening. If he had used other methods, he may not have even lasted that long. This would not have been as good as venturing to fight and seeing if he had a chance to give Peng Leyun a set of strikes. Even if he couldn't win, he could exhaust his opponent. Who knows, maybe Peng Leyun's 'Absolute Reaction' is more powerful when having a sense of malice inducted into the body, and so, with only three strikes he defeated Lin Que."


      "From what you're saying, I think Peng Leyun is truly too strong to have any rivals... I'm afraid that Lou Cheng may also lose. With his Sixth Pin strength nearly at the Inhuman Level, Peng Leyun has just warmed himself up in the last fight," the host said, sighing with emotion.


      At this time, Lou Cheng slapped palms with Yan Zheke, then turned his body, waving his fist toward Li Mao and the others.


      "Come on!" Cai Zongming and the rest of them shouted in response.


      Without further delay, Lou Cheng left his seat to head for the ring.


      Just then, Yan Zheke bit her lip slightly and suddenly shouted gently,


      "Cheng..."


      "Huh?" Lou Cheng looked to his girlfriend confusedly.


      Yan Zheke's eyes looked bright and firm. Making a slight lunge, she took the initiative to hold Lou Cheng's fingers while pouting. She then mustered the courage to speak.


      "D-darling, go for it!"


      In public, while surrounded by hordes of spectators and with both the eyes and ears of Martial Arts Club teammates on all sides, the beautiful Yan Zheke flushed but still finished her sentence.


      As for whether she would be ridiculed or not, whether she would be photographed on television or not, whether there would be any other influence or not—She did not want to think about it and did not care at that moment.


      At this time, the most important thing was to support and encourage her Cheng!


      At first, Lou Cheng was surprised, but then he smiled and grabbed her soft hand. Holding it, he gave a deep nod, filled with warmth.


      "I'll go all out!"


      Not saying anything more, he turned his body and walked toward the ring—his thumb rubbing the area under his palm, savoring that last heartfelt touch.


      Halfway up, he saw Lin Que heading toward him, gasping as if he was having difficulty breathing.


      Lin Que stopped, his eyes revealing a kind of painful unwillingness from Lou Cheng's perspective.


      Even if it was only the inhumanly powerful Peng Leyun that he had lost to, and even if he had defeated Fang Zhirong despite his grievous injuries, he could not help being full of regret, feeling that he had still not done well enough and could have been better.


      A painful, burning feeling arose in his eyes. Just as Lou Cheng thought his brother-in-law would say the two words "I'm sorry" like when they fought at Wensheng School, Lin Que reached out and gave him a fist bump, and said in a hoarse voice,


      "Come on, Lou Cheng!"


      Come on! Use my pain and everyone's hope to refuel. Come on!


      Don't be affected by my emotions...


      "Come on..." Lou Cheng spat out a foul air as he passed by Lin Que and approached the stone steps. With each step, his body was adjusting, his strength was condensing, and his fighting intention was pumping up.


      For more than four months, he had not gone all out in a fight and was now somewhat unused to the feeling of bursting out with all he had.


      "Pop!" Crisp sounds emanated from his body, sounding like machines that were starting up again after a long time and were shaking off the rust, applying lubricant, and debugging precisely.


      When he entered the ring and stood opposite Peng Leyun, his entire body became vigorous, sharp as a soldier's posture, and not even the slightest relaxation or awkwardness could be seen.


      Staring at Peng Leyun's smiling eyes and watching his leisurely fighting stance, Lou Cheng also displayed his own fighting stance—left-hand low, right-hand high—and declared in his heart,


      Let's fight! Let's burn with passion!


      The referee raised his right hand and was about to put it down.


      …


      "Brahman" was in front of the computer screen and unconsciously tightened her two braids, forgetting about the snacks beside her and refusing to post in the forum, focusing her eyes as her tension solidified.


      "It's time to get started! We've been anticipating this fight for more than four months!" "Unparalleled Dragon King" made a toast emoji in the live posting section of Lou Cheng's Fans Forum.


      …


      "Elder sister, it's about to start!"


      "Soon, boss."


      "Sister, you finally arrived!"


      In the office of the martial arts club at Capital College, a group of people glanced at the screens while looking out at the gate, and cried out in a half-cheering, half-joking way.


      Shen You took a breath and smiled at the girl beside her before saying, "Don't take notice of them. Go in quickly. Peng Leyun and Lou Cheng are about to fight."


      With an average height, the young girl had straight, shoulder-length hair, a very long nose, and big eyes like a real doll. Appearing nonaggressive to all observers, who could have imagined she was Ren Li of Kongtong School and enjoyed a popularity equal to Peng Leyun's.


      Ridiculing the fighters, she entered the door while shyly saying,


      "Oops. I got lost again and kept everyone waiting."


      "Haha, Xiao Li 'I think I'm a road nerd'. No, you're not a road nerd. In fact, my getting lost is due to your infection!" Another main force of Capital College, Chen Diguo, loudly exclaimed as he spread his hands and laughed.


      The cute girl, Jiang Kongchan, laughed. "School sister, school sister, I think you have the potential to act as a heroine! If someday you go into the wrong room of a hotel and encounter the overbearing President, a romantic story will begin!"


      Ren Li sat down on a chair and calmly replied, "Overbearing president? Punch him with just one fist, and if that doesn't work, then two fists."


      As she spoke, she looked at the live screen and saw the referee's right hand waving downward.


      …


      Above the stands, Yan Xiaoling held her breath. She had forgotten everything—to take out the banner she brought, to blow her small horn, and even to shout and cheer.


      In the home team's seats, Fang Zhirong covered his head with a white towel and did not watch the match, while Xu Wannian changed his cross-legged posture and subconsciously started praying.


      Brother Peng, do not leave that monster to me!


      In the visiting team's seats, Yan Zheke, Lin Hua, and the others all stood up, nervously watching the ring. No one was sitting and no one was speaking, except for comrade Shi Jianguo. After all, he was well experienced and knowledgeable.


      …


      "Begin!"


      With a swift roar, the referee abruptly lowered his hand finally.


      With the shouts still ringing in his ears, Lou Cheng felt the vibration of the earth as he simultaneously saw Peng Leyun appear in front of him with his clothes clinging to his body.


      "Flash hit" style, a well-deserved reputation!


      Only when encountering a situation face-to-face could one understand the meaning of uncertainty!


      But Lou Cheng remained calm and adjusted his muscles, visualizing a mighty demon with a beast head and a human body riding on a red dragon in order to suppress the tyranny of his body's flame!


      He leaned forward with his left-hand hanging and flicked his wrist forward as he threw a crimson flame that swam against the ground and contained a dangerous breath.


      The Ice Sect's revision of the 26th type of "Ice Burning"—"Fire Burning"!


      The flame was pressing close to the ground and quickly rushing toward the lunging Peng Leyun. Once it made contact, it would immediately blast out, gushing upward with great power, and combust everything in sight.


      Just then, Peng Yueyun paused his steps. His muscles were bulging as the friction of his body against the air created a loud burst.


      "Bang!"


      The loud noise seemed to contain thunder as gusts of wind wantonly swept around Peng Leyun and suddenly stoked the flame, triggering it prematurely.


      "Shang Qing Move! To Tread Dubhe and Alkaid!"


      Peng Leyun had practiced this footwork to the realm of "Thunder and Invulnerability Go Hand in Hand"—thunder at every step, invulnerability at each transition. He seemed to be able to communicate with and call upon God!


      "Boom!"


      The flames thrown out by Lou Cheng exploded and sprang up just half a foot from Peng Leyun, shining and casting flickers on his face.


      Of course, Lou Cheng did not think that one strike would be able to hurt the favored fighter of the age. "Fire Burning" was just thrown out as the body followed up, and the Brutal Blizzard did not stop, not even to rest!


      Just this brief fight had stunned the audience in front of the computer screen. An idea naturally formed in their hearts:


      It was similar to a fight between two men at the physical invulnerable level, and it seemed like watching a showdown between the "Dragon King" and the "Warrior Sage"!


      Fire and thunder! Passion and fury!




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     337 A Fight Between A Dragon And A Tiger
      Everyone was astonished for a while and then comments started filling up the screen.


      "When did Lou Cheng's supernatural fire ability become so powerful?"


      "It seems like he reached a new level in his Fire Force!"


      "That move was supposed to be an alternative version of Ice Burning?"


      "As the saying goes, a fighter who has been away for three days must be looked at with new eyes."


      "Incredible!"


      "I am looking forward to this match."


      As the audience posted their comments, the situation on the stage was fraught with change.


      Lou Cheng launched a fireball and leapt forward. But the blaze was redirected by Peng Leyun's Ascension to Heaven's Stars, and missed the target. As the flames lit up both their faces, Lou Cheng visualized an imposing scene of an ice-bound mighty river. It was a spectacular scene.


      As the image flashed through his mind, Lou Cheng's body, muscles, bones, and organs adjusted accordingly. A cold current surged within his body, like a raging torrent.


      This was only the beginning. The Frozen River Diagram began fading away as the sky was lowering, accompanied by the muffle of thunderclouds.


      Lou Cheng conducted his strength from his tiptoe to his back, swinging his hardened right arm like an iron club.


      It was Thunder Roar Zen, Severe Warning!


      That move was not an alternate version, but a simplified original physical invulnerability. When he entered Dan stage, Lou Cheng's power to control was remarkably enhanced and his Spirit was also promoted to another level. Adding the "Swordsman" Formula, he finally accomplished Severe Warning!


      His iron arm struck down with an ear-splitting sound!


      As the blaze between them was shaking and dying out, Lou Cheng's clenched fist was reflected in Peng Leyun's eyes.


      Peng Leyun smoldered with excitement, visualizing twice in his mind and focusing on a green jade seal floating in a void.


      The jade seal was carved with complex characters, like tangled lightning, radiating silver lights and buzzing.



      At last, the pattern on the seal was magnified and intensified by Yin and Yang interaction.


      This was Peng Leyun's alternate version!


      His eyes crystallized into two "lightning balls." While stretching up and showing off his muscles, he looked like a God of Thunder descending to the world. Peng Leyun hit the ground with his hands, facing directly toward Lou Cheng's iron arm.


      The eleventh skill of Thunder Sect, a simplified trick of physical invulnerability, Thunder Seal!


      Bang!


      Their fists froze in the midair as a violent wind suddenly sprang up. Peng Leyun lost focus as if his mind was out on a journey. Then ice crystals began forming on his arms, martial arts suit, and hair.


      Lou Cheng was paralyzed as if he had received an electric shock. His ears were filled with a hiss and his hair stood up. His muscles were out of control, shivering by themselves, and his internal organs were also affected and in disorder.


      Both of them were struck dumb as if someone pressed the pause button. The audience was also dumbfounded. If it were not for the close-up view of the frost covering Peng Leyun or Lou Cheng's rising hair, most of the audience might have thought something was wrong with their eyes or the live telecast performance.


      "It was said that both Lou Cheng and Peng Leyun mastered a simplified trick of physical invulnerability?"


      "And that was the consequence of a powerful clash?"


      "Let's wait and see who will regain consciousness first."


      "Incredible! That young man deserves some respect!" Zhang He, the announcer sighed with emotion.


      Back when I was his age, I had not mastered a single horrifying move. Even five or ten years later, I still did not have any simplified tricks of physical invulnerability.


      "I have never seen Lou Cheng's move, not to mention knowing what it is called. I guess it was the combination of Tremor Punch and Ice Sect Force. Peng Leyun's move was called 'Thunder Seal' which will be poorly performed by a fighter without a supernatural thunder ability. But Peng Leyun, with only a few adjustments, enhanced the effect of Thunder Seal. Although it was less powerful than the original version, he is indeed a genius." Zhang He seized the moment to explain the situation to the audience.


      Peng Leyun was a pure fighter, without any supernatural ability!


      Peng Leyun and Lou Cheng, one was almost Inhuman, with a monstrous physique, another had a supernatural ability and used a powerful simplified trick of physical invulnerability. Suddenly they both recovered from their rigid posture. One of them glowed with pride and happiness while the other regained control of his muscles.


      Of course, they woke up one after another. Lou Cheng was one step earlier because he possessed a supernatural ability and practiced the "Swordsman" Formula that fundamentally enhanced his body. Although his physique was weaker than Peng Leyun, he wasn't far behind. Lou Cheng advanced forward, trying to get closer to his enemy. Lou Cheng raised his hands and shook his wrists. Spiritual attacks landed before to the actual moves and hit seven spots on Peng Leyun's body. Mixing Feints with actual strikes was one of his tactics.


      He held back the strength in his muscles and bones, waiting to release it in one ultimate move.


      Meanwhile, a silver light shot from Lou Cheng's hand, filling the air and condensing into crystal frost.


      Humming! Every piece of ice crystal was vibrating, disturbing Peng Leyun's sense of hearing. Peng also felt the sting of the sound and his Absolute Reaction was affected. Before his eyes was a stretch of indistinct white frost.


      The thirteenth movement of Ice Sect, Snow Cover!


      In contrast to Lou Cheng's miraculous effect, any fighter can only influence the circumstance by strength and make frost to interfere enemy's judgment. They will wait for the final strike, making the best use of the enemy's weakened Absolute Reaction. In other words, although the enemy felt the pain, he could not be well prepared due to the imminent threats.


      This was quite a complicated skill. After Lou Cheng spent over three months, he still could only barely initiate this move!


      In the dense ice fog, Lou Cheng continued to fight while holding back some of his strength. Suddenly his hip became taut, kicking with his right foot toward Peng Leyun's ankle without a word.


      They were fighting in close combat and Peng Leyun was using his Absolute Reaction. The kick was about to land on him!


      "On a foggy day, the mist rises from the ground." This was the essence of Snow Cover!


      However, a fighter from Ice Sect would not follow a prescribed rule when applying their moves. The kick would only be a feint, while the fist would release the real attack. The varied and fast-changing tactics made it difficult for an opponent to defend.


      Yet, before Lou Cheng's kick arrived, Peng Leyun had straightened his back, moving strength to his feet and biding his time.


      He sensed hostility coming from below toward his feet.


      Pop!


      As Lou Cheng kicked, Peng lifted his left foot and right arm, as if he had practiced a thousand times, and thrust forward.


      Bang! Since Lou Cheng was weaker than Peng Leyun, his left foot was bounced back by Peng Leyun's attack. This caused Lou Cheng to lean forward, almost throwing himself into Peng Leyun's right arm.


      In this critical situation, Lou Cheng immediately adjusted his spine to regain his balance and restore his Qi and blood. He his force concentrated in his lower abdomen in order to counter the violent attacks from his enemy.


      Peng Leyun's eyes glistened with fighting spirit as he became excited. His Qi, blood, strength, and spirit were focused to a single spot within his body, drawing his right arm back and waiting for the next attack.


      Boom!


      Their Danqi gushed out. Peng raised his right arm up like the thunder god beating a drum with a hammer and Lou tightened his wrist, drawing his shoulder back like drawing a bow, and shot out his fist like an arrow.


      Bang! Their fists met. Both fighters' muscles, bones, tendons, and vessels began to alter slightly. The muffled noise from the stage awoke the audience, making their adrenalin flow and their blood boil!


      Snap! A web of cracks appeared under Lou Cheng's foot and he had to withdraw unexpectedly.


      Peng Leyun forged ahead with an unusual visualization forming in his mind.


      Peng Leyun raised his hands, punching out continuously like a Machine gun!


      That was the Catapulting Movement of modern Xingyi!


      Pop! The audience quieted down, hearing Peng's fascia contracting and stretching. His joints crunched noisily like a ceaseless machine.


      Pop! The repeated noise made the spectators tremble. They noticed Lou Cheng defending hastily, warding off the opponent's blows by instinct.


      "Wow... " Li Mao felt like Peng Leyun's fists left an after-image. He didn't think he would even stand a chance at defending against this attack.


      Lin Que looked towards the arena with his fists clenched. The favored fighter of the age was appealing as if his punch was beating on the bottom of his heart. Yan Zheke held her breath and broke out in a cold sweat, feeling like her heart was in her throat, yet she was not as scared as everyone else.


      Brahman and Yan Xiaoling held their breath as well, praying silently.


      "Machine Fist!" exclaimed Zhang He, the announcer. That was the name of Peng Leyun's move.


      In modern Xingyi, Shooting Fillip and Catapulting Movement were the basics and Blast Punch was more advanced, but Machine Fist would not be acquired until the fighter was in full control of his body and equipped with the high agility of a Sixth-Pin fighter. The fists would be like shooting bullets when Machine Fist was carried out, and the opponent would not be able to keep up with the punches.


      Zhang He reminded the audience. "Stop staring at his fists! Look at Peng Leyun's footwork!"


      If Machine Fist always hit on the same position, the defender could easily deal with it by just waving arms. Without needing to think about their defense, they could easily keep up with the attack. Therefore the essence of Machine Fist was the footwork instead of the fist. The delicate footwork altered the fist's target causing the opponent to be caught off guard and struck by the fists violently.


      Zhang He had just finished speaking when he frowned and felt puzzled.


      "Why?"


      Even though Peng Leyun changed the hitting spot three times, how could Lou Cheng still keep up with his pace? It seemed like they were connected at a deep level with each other and had practiced a hundred times!


      "Why?" Unparalleled Dragon King was convinced there was something fishy.


      Lou Cheng's mind was like a crystal mirror, reflecting everything within a radius of a meter clearly. Peng Leyun's muscular contraction and preparation of footwork were exposed, so Lou Cheng could estimate his next move in advance and deal with it.


      This was called Ice Mirror, the most difficult skill in Ice Sect for a fighter with no physical invulnerability.


      Lou Cheng's Dan was balanced, and his Spirit, Qi, and strength were merged as one with some extraordinary power brought by the Jindan. After meditation, Lou Cheng acquired inward vision and was one step away from mastering Ice Mirror. Therefore Lou Cheng practiced the "Forwarding" Formula and the "Swordsman" Formula for a month to initiate the skill and so far he had achieved the state of Cheng!


      As a result, he maintained his position in front of Peng Leyun's Machine Fist with Thunder and lightning.


      Pop! Bang! The noise was continuous but Lou Cheng always countered the attack promptly by adjusting his arms, swaying his wrists, or stretching his fingers. His comprehensive reaction made him unassailable. However, he was weaker than Peng Leyun so Lou Cheng had to pull back and release some stress from time to time. It seemed that Lou was forced to withdraw by Machine Fist.


      While they were fighting, Lou Cheng stepped backwards along a zigzag pattern instead of a straight line to prevent himself from accidentally falling out of the arena.


      One of them was a swift and violent attacker, while the other was a steady and nimble defender. The audience sat upright as if they were about to join the fight and get the excitement off their chest.


      "Marvelous!"


      "Unbelievable! Peng Leyun is such a superman."


      "Even an iron plate would be crushed by such an assault."


      "Lou Cheng is tough. I'm getting dizzy just by watching but he can still defend against it all."


      "Indeed. He seems to be undefeatable. He deserves his great reputation."


      When Lou Cheng began feeling like he could not make it through the countless strikes, Peng Leyun finally started to slow down. He finished performing Machine Fist, puffing and blowing.


      Now or never! Lou Cheng stepped back, letting go of all the pressure. An ancient character appeared in his mind.


      He could not afford to pay attention to his aching arms and fists. Instead, he put both palms together, soothing them solemnly.


      "Army!"


      That was the "Army" Formula of secret mind discipline!


      The sound resonated and suddenly the fight was fierce. Peng Leyun became lost among thousands of illusory men and horses, hearing their battle cry. The ground seemed to shake like ten thousand stampeding horses. The murderous mood made Peng Leyun's flesh creep. He felt like he was besieged by innumerable enemies!


      Peng Leyun was nearly delirious, trembling unconsciously. He tried to visualize the thunderbolt caused by Yin and Yang forces.


      Bang!


      The thunder clapped and turned into a mighty god descending to the world. Yang, strength, and integrity filled the arena dispelling the murderous and illusive army.


      That was the Unique Skill of the Thunder Sect used for resisting an evil assault!


      Bang!


      Lou Cheng was spiritually countered, with a humming in his head. He turned into a ghost under the thunder and lightning. It seemed he was about to vanish, like smoke in the thin air, at any moment.


      After a flash crossed over his Heart Lake of Ice Mirror, it fractured.


      At the moment, he envisioned a huge Chinese character in his mind with one hand gesturing in front of his chest and another pressed on Dantian.


      "Forwarding!"


      Lou Cheng was surrounded by the muffled noise as if all his terror and fear had disappeared.


      "Not bad!" Peng Leyun brought down his fist and used the Force Concentration to perform Divine Pound, one of twenty four pounding skills in Thunder Sect. He swung his right arm towards Lou Cheng, leaving him no room to dodge.


      With the Divine Pound came the repercussion!


      Lou Cheng held his Dan, forcing strength into his right arm. Instead of swelling, his arm strained and tightened. Lou Cheng brandished his fist showing no sign of fear.


      A Rocket-like Punch approached!


      Boom! There was an explosion in the arena and the blast wave spread in all directions, centered around the two fighters in a deadlock.


      Lou Cheng's feet almost got bogged down into the ground and his shoes were torn. He staggered around and drew back.


      Suddenly, he took a breath, while concentrating the running Qi and blood to maintain his balance. He drew support from his opponent, and then withdrew his left foot swiftly.


      Double Explosion! Mega Avalanche!


      Peng Leyun ignited his Dan, kicking and thrusting like lightning.


      Pong! Lou Cheng applied Brutal Blizzard into the successive explosions, giving Peng Leyun tit for tat.


      Third Explosion, Fourth Explosion, Fifth Explosion, and Sixth Explosion! Their fight caused a raging storm on the stage, with the explosion sound incessantly lingering.


      Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth explosion! Lou Cheng resisted the enemy at every step and based on his 24 Blizzard Strikes, Lou Cheng even gained an advantage. while Peng Leyun fought, he became even stronger and inexhaustible. The fighting stage was trampled into a pit, draping in a veil of flying ash.


      Bang! Every hand-to-hand fight was like a bomb dropping, exploding upon the heart of Xu Wannian and others. Fang Zhirong could not help ripping the white towel wrapped around his head while staring at the arena.


      "Brilliant!" The comments alike were posted on the screen.


      "How could Lou Cheng deal with ten explosions?"


      "Is this a top-level match between two ordinary fighters?"


      "Oh! Now I'd like to pick a fight with someone!"


      "I'm even willing to fight a girl!"


      Crack! Lou Cheng's martial arts shoes split, resembling a pair of butterflies, while Peng Leyun's shoes were smashed to pieces. One of them turned his hand over, and another clenched his fist, making the Eleventh Explosion.


      After entering Dan stage, Lou Cheng could finish five Explosions in a row without the Jindan replenishing him. When his supernatural ability awoke twice, with Dan stage skills and practicing the "Swordsman" Formula, Lou Cheng already made a breakthrough that enhanced his body and ability significantly. Even without the Jindan, he could accomplish twelve Explosions, while Peng Leyun made ten Explosions when he fought Ren Li this year, and he was almost an Inhuman, even a monster.


      Speaking of which, they were far beyond Fang Zhirong and others.


      Bang!


      A fair-complexioned fist and a sun-burnt fist collided with each other. Lou Cheng felt that Peng Leyun had a stronger physique so he retreated, causing the ground to subside with his footprints. Peng Leyun faltered and failed to attack quickly enough.


      After a while, they came apart, applying the Internal Training Methods to alleviate the pressure caused by Tremor Punch. The successive explosions finally went off.


      ——They just used Force Concentration and got entangled so they were not fully recovered.


      As they broke away from each other, the audience burst into thunderous applause. Yan Zheke and others could finally catch their breath, and the rest were joyful, relieved, shocked, or astounded.


      "Initial Sixth Pin fighter... " Said Ren Li, in front of the TV screen in the office of Martial Arts Club of Capital College.


      "Initial Sixth Pin fighter?" Shen You, Jiang Kongchan, and the others were aware that Sunny Star referred to Lou Cheng, so they looked at each other in dismay while recalling the fight they just witnessed.


      In a mere four months, Lou Cheng almost became a Sixth Pin fighter?


      You've got to be kidding me! This is insane!


      What's more, Peng Leyun left no opportunity for Lou Cheng!


      What is Peng Leyun's actual strength?


      Lou Cheng, standing on the stage, wondered the same thing. He even felt desperate because he did his utmost, yet Peng Leyun was handling it with ease. Peng was such a deep and immeasurable opponent that no matter how hard Lou Cheng tried, Peng Leyun could always find a way to fight back. There was no stratagem that ensured Lou Cheng's success.


      Peng Leyun regretted meeting force with force, but he did so when he used Simplified Physical Invulnerable Move. It was different when he fought Ren Li because he dodged and evaded.


      In other words, he was fully convinced that he could deal with all the possibilities this time when confronting Lou Cheng.


      Peng Leyun was not underestimating his enemy, he was just a keen fan of martial arts, so he was waiting for the right time to experience his opponent's secret skills personally.


      Of course, it showed through Peng Leyun's calm and confident manner.


      " Maybe Peng Leyun's arrogance and negligence can be exploited..." Lou Cheng reckoned as he leapt forward. He prepared to use a double-edged sword.


      He visualized an ice-bound river, frozen waves, and a bright sun in the air.


      The Great Sun fell from the sky, causing a change in Lou Cheng's body, and then hit the ice ruthlessly.


      This was Lou Cheng's Severe Warning, and this time the supernatural ability of ice and flame reached the balance, carrying out a destructive power that would hurt both sides.


      Pop! Lou Cheng's back trembled, and then he raised his right arm, putting his fist forward.


      While Peng Leyun was excited, visualizing thundering in his mind as he hit the ground, causing a burst of golden blaze and sparks.


      The fifteenth move of Thunder Sect, a simplified trick of physical invulnerability, Thunderbolt Fire!


      This was a simplified version from Golden Blaze of physical invulnerability. Lightning and Fire Stance, an even simpler version of it that can produce a temporary blast.


      Peng Leyun started to tighten his muscles. As he clenched his fist confidently, he used the trick of Raise the Fire, Burn the Sky!


      Bang!


      Ice and blaze bumped into each other and then concentrated into a tiny whirl at Lou Cheng's fist, sucking all the strength of numbness and fire from Peng Leyun.


      Peng Leyun's fist was tangled with Lou Cheng's so he could not get away.


      Bang!


      The tiny whirl lost its balance due to the external force and it blew up, releasing shocking waves.


      Bang!


      This was the first time Peng Leyun was struck by Lou Cheng. Peng Leyun hobbled back and seemed a little crestfallen and heavy-minded.


      Under the backfire of the explosion, Lou Cheng was in hot pursuit of his enemy. Lou Cheng's Spirit preceded him and he tried to use his left and right hook to attack.


      Under such circumstances, he could not use Force Concentration.


      With his Absolute Reaction, Peng Leyun resumed his focus and got back to Dan realm immediately. His lifted his arms to his chest.


      At this point, Lou Cheng's fascia was bouncing. He made a detour to Peng Leyun's back.


      A snowy gleam and a bloody blaze rushed toward Peng Leyun.


      The attack of ice and fire!


      Meanwhile, Lou Cheng's hands were held together and tightened. He pounded from right and left like a giant cracking a mountain, cutting off Peng Leyun's retreat.


      This was Cold Swallow, the nineteenth skill of Ice Sect! A chill came from all directions.


      At this moment, Lou Cheng realized Peng Leyun had reached his limit, and he stood a good chance of defeating him.


      Suddenly, it seemed that one worm wheel after another turned on inside Peng Leyun's body, kindling Yin, Yang, Thunder, and lightning, erupting a formidable repulsion. The ice and blaze from Lou Cheng's Mountain Blast Punch slowed down.


      Pop!


      Before Mountain Blast Punch landed on him, Peng Leyun tripped off and avoided ice and blaze burning. Not far away there was an outburst with boundless white smoke.


      The spirit in his eyes reappeared, turning into a flashing lightning ball. He bent his arm, using his elbows to counter Lou Cheng's fists. Meanwhile, Thunder Seal was visualized in his mind, floating in emptiness with sparks flying off.


      Bang! Since Lou Chen used his double-edged sword, he could not evade in time and got a thump on the fists. A strong numbness infected in his body.


      His hair turned up, and his heart almost paused. His felt pain and his internal organs were injured.


      When Lou Cheng recovered, Peng Leyun turned around, hanging his fist between Lou Cheng's eyebrows.


      Peng Leyun, the God's favored fighter, puffed heavily, and his forehead poured with sweat. He was less determined and confident.


      The referee also raised his right hand to announce the result,


      "The third round, Peng Leyun wins!"


      Lou Cheng was quite dizzy as if he was still stupefied by Lightning Force.


      "Peng Leyun, a worthy opponent..." Lou Cheng closed his eyes painfully.




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     338 Run Forward
      When Lou Cheng finally saw the chance to defeat him, Peng Leyun, in anticipation, reversed the attack and won.


      Lou Cheng's heart was filled with great frustration. If he had not had so much hope, he would not be so upset and full of sorrow right now. His pain was equal to the joy that he felt previously.


      Over four months of patience, practice, and hope had all been in vain.


      Ridiculous, I promised Keke that with Lin Que I would defeat Peng Leyun to suppress his will, affect his faith in being victorious, and delay his speed of breaking through to the Inhuman Level, thus gaining hope for next year's finals. But now, I am too ashamed to face my elders.


      Fortunately, because I was more secretive, such words were said only in front of Keke. Otherwise, who knew how much ridicule and irony that I would endure?


      If I had drawn to be the first to fight on the stage, defeated Fang Zhirong using the misplacement advantage, and challenged Peng Leyun at the peak state of my power, then brother-in-law would have had the chance to subdue this weird opponent, right?


      If I had stayed calm in Peng Leyun's face, and stalled him for a little longer with my gift of strength and replenishing of Jindan, the situation might have been different.


      ...


      A person always thought after they experienced setbacks: What if different choices were made at that time or some details were handled better, then the results might have been different. And Lou Cheng was no exception. The more he thought about it, the more annoyed and pained he became. He even felt somewhat angry at himself.


      Taking a breath, visualizing the "Ice Mirror", and restraining all kinds of thoughts, Lou Cheng nodded to Peng Leyun, whose gasping had eased. He turned toward the stone steps with an impractical pace, while his muscles were still trembling, his The Five Viscera and Six Bowels were extremely uncomfortable, and a salty taste of rust was rolling in his throat as if he would spit up blood.


      "Not only did I lose but also I suffered severe internal injuries..."  Lou Cheng sighed and shook his head bitterly.


      Just then, the students in the spectators stands from Shanbei suddenly applauded—from sparsely to warmly, from noisily to neatly—all for that wonderful battle, and also for the admirable adversary, Lou Cheng.



      You actually stepped down from the arena proudly!


      As the applause reverberated, Yan Xiaoling suddenly cried out sadly, not only being moved by everyone's recognition of Lou Cheng, but also being sad for his defeat. "Lou Cheng clearly fought so well, why would he lose?"


      The cruelty of games was that, most of the time, there was only one winner, and this time the winner was Peng Leyun.


      Listening to the applause given for his opponent, Lou Cheng felt slightly comforted, but the frustration and pain in his heart still could not be completely alleviated. He walked out of the ring as a loser, groggy and lonely.


      Meeting Li Mao halfway, he slapped hands with Li Mao. Forcing a smile, Lou Cheng whispered,


      "Your opponent is too strong... "


      "What a shame! Really not reconciled!"


      "Maybe he has reached the limit, and left me a chance? Then I could remember this match for a lifetime." Li Mao deliberately joked in order to relieve Lou Cheng's pain.


      "Losing to Shanbei was normal, and losing to Peng Leyun is not shameful!"


      "Go ahead!" Lou Cheng did not speak anymore. He nodded to Li Mao, walked toward his seat, and saw Yan Zheke approaching, completely in white.


      The girl's eyes were somewhat red. She lightly bit her lip, and said without any doubt,


      "You fought fantastically!


      "Even though you lost, I am still proud of you!"


      Lou Cheng might not have felt ready to respond much to others, but he could not treat Coach Yan that way. He said with a wry smile,


      "I hope next time you'll say 'Awesome' and 'You're amazing'... "


      "To fight well" meant losing the fight but winning people's respect. "To fight awesomely" meant winning the match, fully and delightfully!


      "Yes!" Yan Zheke nodded.


      She knew Lou Cheng did not need words of comfort, so she only held his palm, silently trying to pass on her temperature to him.


      "If the pain is shared, can it be weakened as well?" Yan Zheke sat down next to Lou Cheng and thought senselessly.


      …


      Listening to the applause from the computer, Qu Hui, in a tuxedo and top hat, had turned pale without the high-spirits from the beginning.


      Are these two guys even human?


      If it was just Peng Leyun, I would have to accept it, because he was strong for more than two years. He was turning into a monster close to the Inhuman Level; it was not an unacceptable thing. Anyway, I was accustomed to losing to him and never thought to beat Shanbei.


      But how, in only just over four months, did Lou Cheng get this kind of daunting strength? How did he soar from the moment I felt hopeful to defeat the hopeless?


      Then how should we fight? How do we fight next week's match?


      As Qu Hui looked at Luo Haize, Yin Xiangxi, and other team members, all of them showed an expression of being scared, sluggish, dazed, or trembling.


      The gap was so big, people even did not want to catch up... Qu Hui painfully looked back and saw a close-up of Lou Cheng, noticing that something was wrong with him. Suddenly Qu Hui felt delighted, and blurted out,


      "Lou Cheng is wounded!


      "And it is not the kind wound that will repair soon!"


      After nearly two months' recovery from the injury without any protection or offsetting, it was very clear how terrifying Peng Leyun's "Thunderclap Force" plus a Simplified Physical Invulnerable move was. Even if Lou Cheng's physical fitness is far better than mine, and Peng Leyun was not himself back then either, without being able to rest for most of the month, Lou Cheng could not recover from this!


      "Lou Cheng was injured?" Luo Haize and Yin Xiangxi were both astonished and asked with implicit pleasure.


      "Yes! Look at his current state and watch the playback later to see if he was directly hit by Peng Leyun's 'Thunder Seal'." Like a survivor, Qu Hui was fortunate and ecstatic. "Lin Que also suffered 'Dark Poison Force' and he probably cannot fight in his best state next week, haha. I don't know what they think. Clearly, there is such a big gap between them and Shanbei, and they fought so hard. Is this not a chance for us?


      "I think we should pay tribute to their martial arts spirit and enjoy this gift!"


      During the taunting, the people of the martial arts community at Sanjiang College confirmed Lou Cheng's situation through slow-motion playback. Their accumulated depression and fear were immediately released, and they become so excited.


      "Here is our chance!"


      "Thanks to the martial arts spirit of Lou Cheng and Lin Que for their hard work!"


      …


      In the Martial Arts Club office of Capital College, Chen Diguo, Shen You, Jiang Kongchan, and others stared at the screen blankly. Forgetting how to speak and forgetting about other things, the atmosphere became weirdly quiet.


      For a moment, they thought Peng Leyun would lose. Yet unexpectedly, Lou Cheng, who had fought like that, still failed to beat this favored one.


      After a few dozen seconds, Chen Diguo broke the silence with a bitter smile, "Little Li, what level do you think Peng Leyun has reached?


      Ren Li pondered, then answered,


      "One step to Inhuman."


      "One step to Inhuman..." Shen You, Jiang Kongchan, and others thought about these four words, at a loss and in awe.


      Ren Li clenched his fists unconsciously.


      …


      In front of the computer screen, "Brahman" released her hands from her braids as a few crystal tears rolled off her face, which then fell onto the floor.


      She opened the forum and sent a post:


      "Oh, woo-hoo! Why, why, he obviously fought so well, why did they let him lose?"


      "('Fondle your head' emoji) Fighting like this is pretty good, much better than I expected. I thought that Lou Cheng would have, at most, a strong seventh level, and I was afraid that his losing to Peng Leyun is affecting his confidence." The little girl "Brahman" was comforted by "Unparalleled Dragon King".


      "I won't listen, I won't listen, I won't listen, I just want him to win! It's killing me seeing him like that!" "Brahman" sent a "cover ears, shaking head" emoji.


      "Nie Qiqi" wrote, following a "face full of tears" emoji: "I know it is very good that he can fight with Peng Leyun at this level. No, extremely good. But I still can not help feeling sad."


      "You girls, ah, why are you so fragile? Need comfort from your uncle? Don't go for the heart but the kidney!" "Okamoto's Fan" sobbed after a few jokes. "OK, I'm out of jokes, let me calm down with a cigarette."


      "Hey, think about the gap between Lou Cheng and Peng Leyun from six months or a year ago, and then look at the present. You should be relieved, right?" "Ring Road" came out to say.


      "Damn, you're so sad about Lou Cheng losing to Peng Leyun, whose strength was at least one level stronger than his. Should I go kill myself because I was defeated by him while I had no rank at all?"


      "Fortunately, Lou Cheng has advanced by leaps and bounds, losing to him has become an interesting talking point, nothing to be shameful about... "


      At this time, "Many Cats" suddenly popped in to reply. "We know that, sensibly, you are right. But still, we wailed... "


      …


      In the broadcasting room of the video site, the guest commentator, Zhang He, was commenting excitedly.


      "Bravo! Bravo! This match made me want to move my rusty arms and legs. Lou Cheng is strong, Peng Leyun is stronger, both are awesome!"


      The host echoed, "Yes, I did not think Lou Cheng could force Peng Leyun to this point, it seems he is approaching his limit!"


      "His limit? No, Peng Leyun was just overloaded for a short time, that doesn't mean that he lost the power to fight again. Ay, if Lou Cheng hadn't given the final few strokes, perhaps we could not even have seen him in this overloaded state." Zhang He could not help but sigh. "You have just made rapid advancement in your age with high and vigorous spirits, it is very sad and pitiful to meet an opponent who defeat you like this."


      "You mean Peng Leyun is stronger than he just demonstrated?" The host was shocked.


      Zhang He nodded slightly. "He is enjoying the match, not trying to win it, and that is the difference between these two. Need I say more?"


      "You are saying that Peng Leyun in the last moments was the strongest himself?" the host suddenly asked.


      "You can say that." Zhang He sighed.


      That is to say, the direct target is the physically invulnerable Wai Gang?


      When I was at the peak of rank six, I wasn't strong like that!


      As they spoke, the barrage was brushed off one by one, and no one seemed to be concerned about the battle of Li Mao and Peng Leyun.


      "I have to say, Lou Cheng is really powerful. Though practicing martial arts for only more than a year, he was able to fight with Peng Leyun like this!"


      "I was literally watching on my knees... "


      "It's almost sturdy with no friends!"


      "He really deserves the candidate of God's favored one. He has more hope than anyone else!"


      …


      After a lot of positive affirmations about Lou Cheng, someone was looking forward to the future. "I can not imagine in another six months or a year what realm Lou Cheng can reach. Will he surpass Peng Leyun?"


      This sentence suddenly poked the hornet's nest, attracting a bunch of people to besiege.


      "To surpass Peng Leyun? Hahaha, such a big joke! As if Peng Leyun will not enhance more! He will soon enter the Inhuman Level!"


      "How could he match with Peng Leyun just by his supernatural ability and inborn gifts?"


      "Didn't you listen to the commentary? Peng Leyun didn't use his full strength. Umm, he didn't even use his full strength, and then Lou Cheng fell!"


      "Gee, if he is so strong, then one more fight! Peng Leyun and Lin Que just fought a few moves, and if they fight one on one, he will beat Lou Cheng to the point that he will ask for his father."


      "Would you stop it? They just speculated based on the facts. Lou Cheng has been promoted from a real ordinary person to a warrior approximate to, or weaker than, Sixth Pin after practicing martial arts for just a year and two months. With another six months or a year, who knows what extent he can grow to?"


      "Hehe, seriously, such a large-scale upgrade never lasts long, and it will be more difficult to go up. Lou Cheng's rate of getting stronger will inevitably slow down. If he can enter the Inhuman state within a year, I will do a broadcast eating shit!"


      "Yes, Lou Cheng is a very powerful genius, but compared to Peng Leyun, I use comical lines to answer you. Waste, you are not qualified. Poor guy, go and eat shit!"


      "I doubt Lou Cheng will lose confidence from being defeated by Peng Leyun, I just found out he was desperate. Those who do not have confidence are salted fish, and it is hard for them to improve more!"


      Quarrelling was very fierce online, "Brahman" was angered to tears, who wanted to see the barrage of how they praised Lou Cheng after the match.


      Damn it!


      I really want to hit them!


      I really want to quarrel with them!


      At the scene of the arena, the battle of Li Mao and Peng Yueyun had begun. Peng Yueyun did not turn away from the scene. He left the opportunity to Xu Wannian, which gave his opponent the greatest respect. He thoroughly mixed his breath and took his stance, letting him attack.


      This was the most heart-catching match that Li Mao had fought; he used "24 Blizzard Strikes" one stroke after another and became crazier even without any stop.


      "Pa!"


      He made the most powerful punch since he had been practicing martial arts and felt an unparalleled release.


      Peng Leyun put up his arm, waving his waist and belly, and accurately blocked him, not moving at all.


      Li Mao was waiting to attack again but suddenly felt that his body was empty, without any more strength.


      Unconsciously, he had actually finished the entire "24 Blizzard Strikes"!


      Looking at Peng Leyun in front of him, who fought leisurely, Li Mao said with a self-deprecating smile,


      "Thank you."


      "Thanks for your accomplishment."


      After those words, without waiting for the referee's announcement, he turned and walked down the ring with no regret and no loss, but only a gentle sigh.


      The referee raised his right hand and said,


      "The fourth match: Peng Leyun wins!


      "This match: Shanbei University wins!"


      In the home team's seats, Xu Wannian happily waved his fist, feeling that he had escaped from havoc; he did not need to face the monster who could bounce "Corvine Mouth". In Fang Zhirong's gloomy eyes, there was not much happiness, and only thought about losing the fight with Lin Que.


      At the side of Songcheng University, when Li Mao came back, he high-fived the others, then he silently returned to the locker room.


      Near the front door, holding Yan Zheke's hand, Lou Cheng consciously looked back to the ring and saw Peng Leyun standing there applauding to the surrounding people, the light putting a layer of golden glow onto him.


      Looking back, Lou Cheng closed his eyes for a moment, then went into the locker room.


      …


      On the returning train, the people of the Martial Arts Club did not say anything. Several times Cai Zongming wanted to break this atmosphere, but when the words were on the tip of his tongue, he did not have the courage to speak.


      Mu Jinnian and Yan Xiaoling sat in the back row, watching the silent Lin Que, full of distress, and could not wait to muster the courage to comfort him, but ultimately did not put that into action.


      Lou Cheng snuggled up to Yan Zheke, and smelling her familiar fragrance and feeling the warmth that relaxed him, he slowly calmed down.


      "You see a lot of people on the Internet praise you." Yan Zheke just turned to some of the comments on the Weibo and saw the compliments at the beginning, quickly handing the phone to Lou Cheng with a boasting expression.


      Lou Cheng read the messages one by one. Knowing all affirmed his own strength and admired the wonderful performance of the previous match, he gradually smiled with his lip tilted a little. Yan Zheke got her face close and read together with him, occasionally keeping her delicate white chin up, showing a sense of pride.


      Watching for a while, Lou Cheng turned to the part of contrasting with Peng Leyun and he found a variety of taunts. For example: by virtue of supernatural ability and ancestral chromosomes, being defeated and losing confidence, being far from qualification, the candidate was just a candidate, and so on.


      His temples twitched and his heart had an unknown fire for a while. He wanted to prove something, he wanted to quarrel about what was right and wrong, but sadly found that there was no excuse for losers; only victory could fight anything back.


      Yan Zheke bit her lip tightly after seeing that, and there was an angry fire burning in her black eyes.


      She suppressed her anger, not wanting to infect her boyfriend with her negative mood. She clicked the screen off to exit the discussion and pretended to be reasonable.


      "Cheng, ignore them, some people just like to smear others!"


      "Hmm." Lou Cheng had intended to comfort Coach Yan, but accidentally saw a long Weibo, from the "All-knowing Man in Ganghood", an internet celebrity in the field of martial arts.


      "This defeat outweighs the victory to Lou Cheng."


      "Eh? Why does he say that?" Not only Lou Cheng, but also Yan Zheke was quite curious. She promptly clicked to read it.


      "It is foreseeable that Lou Cheng will step into a period of slow growth.


      "Why do I say this? It's obvious that the strength enhances of Lou Cheng are always accompanied by an awakening of supernatural abilities.


      "This is obvious common sense. The awakening of supernatural abilities will greatly improve the quality of the body. Of course, the premise is that there is no obstacle in the realm. That is to say, if not in the Dan stage, though the abilities are awakened again, qualitative change of strength will not take place.


      "Lou Cheng has just entered into the Dan stage, and he could have the potential of the Seventh Pin, relying on his own inherent strength and practice of 'Frost Force' in advance. From Seventh Pin to weaker than Sixth within just over four months, he relied on the second awakening of dual abilities ice and fire as well as the period of formal contact with the Dan practice. Now this period went away, and we all know that the awakening of supernatural abilities is more difficult than ever. Within a year or two, there will be no more dividends to Lou Cheng on this aspect.


      "In this way, the slowing down of his ability to enhance is predictable. By next April, practicing more ice moves and upgrading related combat experience can be expected. At most, from weaker than Sixth Pin to formal Sixth Pin, the gap between him and Peng Leyun will be further widened.


      "Such speed will be with him for a long time. Whether or not he is able to enter the Inhuman Level within two years, without awakening supernatural abilities, will be considered a test to confirm if he is the Chosen One in this world.


      "This utter defeat comes just in time, to prevent him from self-inflation. He can clearly recognize himself and understand the gap between himself and Peng Leyun, as well as the fact that he may not catch up within a few years. Therefore, the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages.


      "Maybe this is a severe warning?"


      This long Weibo seemed to stand in the perspective of Lou Cheng, but totally in a condescending tone. The unkind thought that the rapid progress of Lou Cheng relied entirely on the awakening of supernatural abilities implied that Lou Cheng was not as good as Peng Leyun, and so he should be used to mediocrity and frustration. Yan Zheke was so angry, quietly clenching her fists, and said,


      "Don't listen to this person's nonsense, Cheng, his opinion is unimportant!"


      "Hmm." Lou Cheng took a breath.


      In fact, the "All-knowing Man in Ganghood" was not wrong. The dividend of his own ascension was actually fading. The awakening of supernatural abilities was not something that could be considered now. The influence of Dan to practice on the body was getting weaker and weaker. It was entering the stage that needed days and months accumulated. Only the internal practice of "Swordsman" Formula could still be counted.


      Because of this, he became angrier with this commentary for not being able to disprove it.


      Looking at his face, Yan Zheke pursed her lips, as if deep in thought.


      …


      When they returned to the new campus of Songcheng University, it had gotten dark. Therefore, they waved and bid farewell to each other depressingly.


      Mu Jinnian could not pause but followed Lin Que. Watching his back silently, she was unable to comfort him.


      "No, the Lin Que I know would not want the comfort... " She restrained herself and accompanied Lin Que, two steps behind.


      When closely approaching the Ninth Block living quarters, Lin Que suddenly stopped, turned around, and looked at Mu Jinnian.


      "Do you have a pen and paper?"


      "Ah?" Mu Jinnun became speechless.


      He, he is talking to me?


      He talked to me for the first time!


      Does he know that I want his signature?


      Waking up, she hurriedly removed her backpack, pulled out a signature pen and notes, handing them to Lin Que.


      Lin did not say anything, but quickly wrote a line of words:


      "Thank you for not comforting me!"


      "Thank you for not comforting me... " Mu Jinnian took the note and watched Lin Que walking into the dormitory. His eyes were full of pain, but his figure was straight.


      "I will always support you!" Mu Jinnian shouted out, no longer caring about the eyes of other people.


      …


      Lou Cheng was taken to the lake by Yan Zheke. Through the woods, they came to the barren west zone.


      "Why did we come here?" he asked.


      "Just follow me!" Yan Zheke never came here. She entered the west zone only when "abducted" by Lou Cheng. But she noticed something with her unique "girlish" attentiveness and sensitivity.


      She took Lou Cheng to a building that had not yet been completed. She pointed to the top and said, "Let's go to the roof. I want to get some air."


      The building was planned to be a library in the new campus to replace the temporary one. It would become the largest one in the province, and one of the largest in the country.


      "Sure." Lou Cheng understood that the girl was trying to let him climb high to gaze far, feel the breeze, and relieve his mood, so he did not refuse.


      Along the stairs, the two walked up one step at a time, very slowly. A long time later, they finally came to the top, witnessing the view without a fence.


      Looking down, the lights in the eastern zone were brilliant, reflecting in the lake. The scenery was so charming and it made people relaxed and happy. The depression in Lou Cheng's heart seemed to be greatly eased.


      "Let's sit down at the edge," Yan Zheke suggested.


      She has no fear of heights at all.


      Taking the paper towel, Lou Cheng laid it on the edge. They sat down side by side, breathing in the cool fresh air and overlooking the open world.


      Suddenly, Yan Zheke looked ahead and said,


      "Cheng, do you still remember that once I sang a song for you?"


      "Yes, to cheer me up." Lou Cheng smiled.


      Yan Zheke pursed her lips and smiled, gently glancing at him.


      "Let me sing it to you again."


      Not waiting for Lou Cheng to answer her, facing the open outside, she gently hummed.


      "Run forward, toward the cold eyes and laughter,"


      "The vastness of life cannot be felt without hardship,"


      "Destiny fails to let us kneel and beg for forgiveness,"


      "Even if our arms are filled with fresh blood... "


      The clear voice of the girl echoed in his ears. In front of him, it was the boundless vast earth, the Milky Way on the ground flowing in the dark, and her beautiful dark hair flying in the wind. Lou Cheng suddenly felt a bit drunk, his mood was gradually relieved, and his heart was full of strength again.


      Failure itself was not terrible. What was really terrible was that people always felt depressed that they had failed!


      "Run forward, towards the cold eyes and laughter,"


      "Continue to run, with the pride of youth,"


      "Life's brilliance cannot be seen unless we persevere,"


      "Rather than to live mediocrely, why not burn with passion,"


      "There will be a day when it will sprout again."


      The song lingered in the air...




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     339 When We Were Young
      The cold wind blew, and the night was peaceful. Lou Cheng stared at Yan Zheke, who sat next to him. She was pink-faced from singing a song. He became calm and very relaxed. His gloomy mood was improving.


      Yan Zheke took a heavy breath and glanced at him. She lifted up her chin and hummed deliberately.


      "Do you think I am good at singing?"


      She hung her legs outside the building and swayed them lightly. It was cute.


      "You are better than good." Lou Cheng laughed and reached for her waist so that she would lean on his shoulder.


      He looked at Weishui Lake in the distance and said in a slightly self-deprecating tone,


      "People always get greedier bit by bit."


      "At first, I didn't think I could defeat Peng Leyun. Although I told you I would win, I actually still doubted my strength at the time. I thought that by joining your brother and achieving stronger effects with my 2nd awakening of the Fire supernatural ability, that we would have more of a possibility of defeating Peng Leyun; so long as both your brother and I were filled with power. Even so, I still never would have expected that we could beat Shanbei.


      "After I found that my strength had improved a lot by the second awakening of the supernatural ability and I rapidly advanced in the Dan stage. I gradually gained confidence and was no longer satisfied with my previous plan. I began to consider the possibility of defeating Shanbei. I mastered the 'Swordsman' Formula, the 'Army' Formula, and the 'Forwarding' Formula quickly. I became more ambitious and felt that I could fight Peng Leyun by myself.


      "I know I'm undeniably weaker than him, but I still think there is a possibility for me to beat him. I won against Zhang Zhutong and Han Zhifei under similar conditions. They were both stronger than me at the time.


      "Don't laugh at me, I mean it! Even after your brother tried so hard to attack Peng Leyun, who in the end, still didn't consume much stamina. I still held the belief I could defeat him before I entered the ring. Now, however, I clearly know the reality. Even though I tried my best, Peng Leyun could still easily suppress me. No matter what kind of movements I made, he could hold me down. By the end of the match, if I hadn't attacked him with the abnormal Severe Warning, maybe I wouldn't have learned his limits.


      "The bigger the hope, the greater the disappointment. I learned a crucial lesson from this match. That's why I felt so upset and depressed, and became much angrier when I received a bad evaluation from others.



      "I now find that I was a little arrogant at the moment."


      Lou Cheng finished analyzing his mental state. Yan Zheke pursed her lips and smiled. She said,


      "Isn't a man usually reluctant to confess his failures or embarrassments to the girl he loves? Well, this is the so-called ego and self-esteem of men. Why would you share these thoughts with me?"


      Lou Cheng let out a low chuckle and replied,


      "Because you are my Coach Yan, the mentor of my life."


      "Don't you forget it!" Yan Zheke was suddenly amused by his answer, so she deliberately acted like an elder. "So how do you feel now?"


      What pleased her most was that Cheng seemed to have pulled himself out of the shadow of failure!


      "My feelings now? Well, I just want to catch up to him and close the gap!" Lou Cheng replied to her sincerely and frankly. "Ke, I set a small goal, to defeat Shanbei before Peng Leyun graduates!"


      Giving no time for Yan Zheke to answer him, he quickly added, "I've always heard that Peng Leyun likes to jump through the window instead of taking the stairs or walking through the front door?"


      His words frightened her. She blurted out,


      "What are you thinking?"


      I know him well, he wouldn't mention something like this for no reason!


      Lou Cheng looked at the ground below, a frightening distance from where he now stood. He smiled and said,


      "I want to try, will you join me?"


      Although Yan Zheke didn't have a fear of heights, neither did she have thoughts of committing suicide. Nor did she have a habit of jumping off buildings. She looked down at the ground far-away and found how high she now stood. She was about to refuse him out of reflex.


      It was at this moment that Lou Cheng turned around, looked at her, and faintly smiled.


      "Trust me."


      Hearing these two words, Yan Zheke bit her pink lip softly and nodded.


      "Ok."


      The moment she finished her words, she felt herself being pulled into his arms. He was cradling her.


      "Why are you holding me like this!" Yan Zheke felt so shy that she hit her fist against him gently.


      This is the first time I've been hugged like this. It's a 'Princess' Hug.


      No, it shouldn't be like this. How can he hug me like a princess now?


      Lou Cheng chuckled and answered,


      "If something goes wrong, it'll be easier for me to throw you out of the way from this position."


      Anyway, I cannot let anything hurt my fairy!


      "What?" Yan Zheke was still wondering what he meant, when Lou Cheng suddenly leaped forward. Yan Zheke heard the wind suddenly become fierce.


      She fell rapidly downward. Her hair blew into a mass as the ground got closer and larger. It seemed like it was about to slam into her face. As a girl who was always praised for her rationality, Yan Zheke shuddered. She wanted to scream instinctively. She felt as if she'd heard the coming of death.


      Is this why people are crazy about Bungee jumping?


      But what I'm experiencing now is much more horrible than Bungee jumping. I don't even have a rope tied to my waist!


      Is this the feeling of walking along the edge of life and death?


      She subconsciously hugged Lou Cheng tighter and pressed her face to his chest where she could get a sense of security.


      Just before they landed, Lou Cheng suddenly condensed his qi and blood and suppressed his spirit. He first tightened his muscles, then released all his power.


      His body seemed to expand. It helped him decrease the friction with the airflow, so that he glided within a limited distance.


      Bump!


      The moment he stepped onto the ground, it felt like a small earthquake.


      He straightened his waist to exert force into his spine, then he strode forwards as leisurely as an immortal sage. He was still holding Yan Zheke in his arms.


      One step, two steps, three steps, he finally relieved all the rebounding power, allowing the girl in his arms to feel no discomfort.


      "We have successfully landed?" Yan Zheke's long eyelashes trembled slightly. She looked around and narrowed her eyes into a slit.


      She dared not close her eyes; she looked straight at the ground,


      "Yes, Coach Yan. It's a safe landing!" This jump had helped Lou Cheng relieve all his negative emotions, so he answered her in an excited and humorous tone.


      Amused, Yan Zheke struggled to stand up straight. She fixed her long hair and looked around with her bright eyes. Her cheeks had become pink from the excitement. She behaved like a kid who'd just played a fun game.


      "Was it fun? Was it exciting?" Lou Cheng asked her with a smile.


      "Yes!" Yan Zheke nodded honestly.


      Cheng is always leading me to do things that are wrong!


      Suddenly, she thought of something. She frowned and said, "You still have internal injuries! How can you jump from such a high building? Aren't you afraid that your injuries will become more serious?"


      "I'm fine." Lou Cheng moved his body to show that he was okay. He smiled. "We have to do crazy things when we're young."


      "Well, anyway, I'm not the one who has injuries!" Yan Zheke knew that her boyfriend mostly just wanted to get rid of his negative emotions. Once she found he was fine, she just stopped criticizing him.


      Lou Cheng was still excited about the jump. He turned around and squatted down in front of Yan Zheke.


      "Come on, Ke, let me carry you!"


      "Ah, no. I'm well energized. Also, my legs feel fine," Yan Zheke answered with a dumbfounded look.


      "What's the relationship between the two? As your boyfriend, do I need a reason to carry you?" Lou Cheng laughed, still squatting.


      His words persuaded her. She pursed her mouth and turned around, cursing him in her heart. She moved toward him briskly and bent down.


      Carrying the girl on his back, Lou Cheng strolled through the west district; there were few people around. Listening to her melodious humming, he leisurely chatted with her from time to time.


      "In fact, my brother seems able to take a more crucial blow than you."


      "I thought so, too... "


      "But he doesn't need any sympathy or comfort."


      "This attitude is so Lin Que."


      "I believe he will eventually catch up to the genius. The man who has fallen behind now won't remain stuck behind others forever."


      "Are you trying to encourage me by saying this?"


      "You can interpret my words however you like."


      "But can you stop blowing in my ears when you talk?"


      "What's wrong with blowing into your ears? You even kissed my ears!"


      "You can kiss mine too, I don't mind at all."


      "Pervert!"


      In the gentle moonlight, the desolate campus looked very beautiful.


      …


      The next morning, Lou Cheng got up early, despite his internal injuries. He came to the shore of the Weishui Lake. Touched by the cool breeze, he began to practice the "Zhe" Formula. He fixed the problems in his body bit by bit relying on his inward vision ability. Since he had completely mastered the meditation and ability for controlling nuances, which were specifically mastered by fighters of Dan stage, he could now perform this ability.


      Geezer Shi stood next to him, crossing his arms. Casually, he said, "The 'Zhe' Formula has a rather decent healing effect. I will teach you the Ice Sect healing method if time allows. How long do you think it will take you to completely recover?"


      "It will take me eleven or twelve days as long as I do not fight fiercely with others," Lou Cheng said, feeling a little guilty. If not for him experiencing his crazy youth last night and jumping from a high building, he might have been able to recover in less than ten days.


      Because he had the ability of inward vision, he could make a rather accurate judgment about the recovery of his injuries.


      Geezer Shi was surprised. "That's a bit longer than I thought. Can you fight in the next match?"


      "Yes, my body state will become stable in seven days. If I don't fight like I did in the last match, my injuries won't be aggravated." Lou Cheng answered without any hesitation.


      Although I can only play at seventy to eighty percent of my strength, it is still enough for me to teach any guys who want to take the opportunity to defeat us a lesson!


      …


      After finishing the morning exercises, as usual, the members of the club began their special training. However, instead of looking in on the members and just instructing them casually, this time Geezer Shi stood in front of the team and looked around. He laughed.


      "Yesterday when I saw that all of you were as depressed as a frosted eggplant I wanted to say something to you. But I thought it over and decided that it would be better to give you a night to experience it so that you would have a much more profound impression."


      Watching Lou Cheng and Li Mao feel ashamed again, Geezer Shi waved his hand.


      "It's normal for you to experiences pain and sadness, or feel unhappy, after you lose a match. Or, I think, it's good for you to feel that way. This doesn't mean you are weak. This only proves that you care about the match, a lot. This indicates that you still have desire and momentum.


      "As for those people who can immediately calm themselves and feel happy after they lose a match, this doesn't mean that they are mature enough to take the result. They can take it only because they are numb and they care less about it. They are apathetic to failure and to martial arts. They have even lost their desire for victory. They don't care about it at all."


      "I dare not talk about other careers. But on the road to martial arts, fighters like this often lose their desire and motivation to improve. They can easily compromise and deal with failure. They are also willing to give in in front of the mighty ones. So you guys are good. You still tried your best even when you were confronted by Shanbei.


      "You know the Dragon King. No matter what the reason is, if he loses an important battle, he will be very angry."


      "But, well, he is good at turning these painful feelings into motivation for advancement. You guys need to learn from him. Do not feel depressed about your failures and never trap yourself in these kinds of emotions."


      As he spoke, the members of the club nodded frequently. They were all inspired.


      At this moment, Geezer Shi asked seriously, "Yesterday, did you feel sad?"


      Lou Cheng and the others were stunned for a moment and then answered in unison, "Yes".


      "Did you feel pain?" Geezer Shi asked further.


      "Yes." Lin Que hesitated but he still joined the other members in answering the question.


      Hearing their answer, Geezer Shi let out a roaring laugh,


      "Since you have already known sadness and pain, go practice your martial arts as soon as possible!"


      "Yes, Sir!" Their morale was again lifted.


      As he watched all of them start practicing and curing their injuries, Geezer Shi let out a laugh and took out his wine pot. He took a sip of wine.


      What words do young people always use to describe my present feelings?


      Holy Awesome!




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     340 Another Match Starts
      The rain drizzled and dropped lightly on the windowsill. It was Sunday morning. Isolated from the outside world, people were reluctant to get up and leave their warm beds.


      Yan Xiaoling was wrapped in a warm quilt and didn't want to wake up. It seemed that as long as she was dreaming, she could forget the failure and sadness of yesterday, and no longer needed to worry about disappointing things.


      She also had a bad habit of waking up intermittently. She got up to check her cell phone from time to time. Correspondingly, she had a good habit of falling asleep quickly.


      Opening her eyes reluctantly, she brought the phone under the warm blanket. She unlocked the screen and refreshed the university forum. She found a newly updated post marked in red:


      "Are there any students who want to cheer for the Martial Arts Club right now?"


      Cheer for the Martial Arts Club? Wasn't the game held yesterday? Or did all those things happen in my imagination? Yan Xiaoling rubbed her face to revive herself and then clicked on the post. In the post, the writer wrote,


      "I watched the match between our Martial Arts Club and Shanbei. I am fuming with anger and excitement. But I also feel pity for the members of our club. They played so well, but they were still defeated. So I am thinking maybe we can do something for them.


      "Do you want to join me and go to the martial arts arena to show your support? It doesn't matter whether you are boy or girl, all are welcome!"


      Well... Yan Xiaoling looked through the whole post and saw several responses. The more she read, the more impulsive she became. Finally, she decided to overcome the coldness of the winter morning and pull herself out from under the comfortable blanket.


      She put on her long down jacket, opened the door of her dormitory and ran out into the biting wind.


      As a girl from Yanling, she would never adapt to these southern winters.


      …


      In the Martial Arts arena, Lou Cheng was taking a break as he always did after practicing the "Zhe" Formula. He practiced in a very reasonable way; it was not too intense. It fully demonstrated his awareness of his injuries.



      He noticed that one after another, his fellow students kept coming into the arena. They sat on both sides of the stands in a disorganized manner.


      What was happening? Lou Cheng worked at instructing and correcting Yan Zheke's movements, yet he was confused by the scene in front of him. He had no idea what exactly was happening.


      Is this Flash Mob Dancing?


      Not really...


      "Cheng, look, look! There are so many students... There have never been this many students to watch our special training before." Yan Zheke was also aware that something was different. She took the opportunity that Lou Cheng afforded her and raised her chin toward the stands.


      "Yes. I'm confused too. I'm always afraid of sudden big, bad news." Lou Cheng looked around and answered her in a low voice.


      Cai Zongming had also noticed the students in the stands. His gaze met Lou Cheng's. In an excited tone, he said, "Cheng, do you see this scene? So many people have come to watch our training, in particular, so many students! This means that we're now very famous. Only martial arts masters receive treatment like this! "


      "Don't you think you're exaggerating?" Lou Cheng was shocked by his words.


      Just as Cai Zongming was about to make up a set of theories that could explain his nonsense, the students who had come to the arena on such a cold Sunday morning, stood up one by one. They made their hands into trumpets and shouted cheers for the members who were doing their special training.


      "Keep going!"


      "You can do better!"


      Hearing their cheers echo through the arena, Lou Cheng and the other members paused for a moment. But they quickly understood that the students were showing their support for the last match that they'd fought.


      When they screamed "you can do better", they meant "you already performed very well in the last match!"


      "Keep going!"


      "You can do better!"


      Their scattered sounds became more and more synchronized, gradually merging into a unified sound wave. Members of the club, including Lou Cheng, began to practice harder. It was as if they'd eaten Popeye's spinach. What's more, they became more motivated and passionate.


      "Quickly! Record this!" Shu Rui's bright eyes were almost moved to tears and she asked the cameraman to videotape it.


      How excellent these students are!


      How lovely this scene is!


      Not until all the members had left the arena did the special training also come to the end. Shu Rui finally got a chance to record their reactions to the last match, which she had been too embarrassed to record yesterday.


      She decided to start with the most difficult one.


      "Lin Que, how do you feel now? How is your recovery going? Has the Dark Poison Force in your body been completely eliminated?" Shu Rui asked with a friendly smile.


      He will definitely answer me if I start the interview showing great concern for his health!


      Lin Que looked at her. He was breathing heavily and sweating. He said,


      "That's a secret."


      "A secret? Again a secret! God damn secrets!" Shu Rui opened her mouth slightly and the corner of her eyes twitched with anger.


      After taking a breath, she maintained her professional composure and a polite smile. She then asked, "Are you afraid that the information about your recovery will be explored by Sanjiang College? Well, okay then. I'll ask a different question. Today you look extremely energetic. Have you gotten out of your negative mood about the failure?"


      "No, I have not," Lin Que answered seriously.


      What an honest boy... Even Shu Rui wanted to sigh and cover her face. But instead, she smiled in a good manner. "Why do you say that? You seem to care less about the last match now, don't you?"


      "The failure pushes me to move forward." Lin Que answered frankly.


      This was a good standard answer. But why do I feel as if I'm being tricked by him in some way... She stopped asking questions and watched him turn and go back to the locker room.


      Concealing her disappointment, she stopped Lou Cheng and greeted him with a smile.


      "You're in a good mood, right?"


      "Failure means nothing to a young man... " Lou Cheng let out a chuckle.


      "I always like to chat with young people like you because it makes me feel like I am full of vitality again." Shu Rui tried to amuse him in a self-deprecating way. "What did you think of the match yesterday?"


      "I realize the gap, well, and also see the hope. More importantly, I set my goal." Lou Cheng answered frankly and did not try to hide his thoughts.


      "You are on a roll!" Shu Rui gave him a thumbs-up and sincerely praised him. After she interviewed him, she went to find Yan Zheke.


      "Were you disappointed that you didn't get to enter the ring yesterday?" She handed the microphone to Yan Zheke.


      Yan Zheke pursed her lips and smiled faintly. "Yes, it's a pity."


      Although I can't change anything, it was still quite a disappointment for me.


      "I heard that Peng Leyun likes jumping from tall buildings to cut corners. Also, this is an ability only Sixth Pin fighters in Dan stage can achieve. Has Lou Cheng ever performed similar movements?" Shu Rui asked.


      While she had offered this question casually, Yan Zheke was shocked. She almost revealed her astonishment.


      Is Reporter Shu asking me on purpose? This is on purpose, right?


      This is too much of a coincidence. Now, after Cheng cradled me to experience the excitement of jumping from the building last night, she comes to ask me about it?


      Did someone see us last night and tell her?


      "This kind of thing, umm... " She looked suspiciously at Shu Rui and then let out a sweet smile, showing her cute dimples. "Jumping from a building is dangerous. Good kids should not try it! Well, that's my answer."


      Uh... Shu Rui was puzzled by Yan Zheke's odd answer.


      …


      Time passed. All the members were busy making up their missed classes and studying. On December 28th, at three o'clock in the afternoon,


      Songcheng University Martial Arts Club would go to the guest arena and challenge the Martial Arts Club of Sanjiang College. If they lost this match, they would fail to enter the finals!


      They paid a great deal of attention to this match. They packed up their luggage and gathered at the school bus station. They intended to set off one day in advance. A smooth and steady night's sleep would help them to store their energy in case the long-distance driving affected their state.


      Shu Rui stood in front of the bus offered specially by the university. She was holding a microphone and had the camera in the background. She asked the club members,


      "We have another match in the guest arena, do you want to say anything?"


      "Say something?" Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke thought carefully about how to respond. Little Ming seemed to come up with something. He patted members on the shoulder one by one and whispered something to them.


      Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke, held each other's shoulders. Yan Zheke also held He Zi's shoulder. The man next to He Zi was Mu Jinnian. The members linked their shoulders one by one. All of them linked together and formed an arc.


      They bent slightly and shouted in unison:


      "We want victory!"


      We want victory, no matter who our opponent is!


      …


      On December 29th, at 2:50 pm, in the Sanjiang College martial arts arena.


      In the host team locker room, Qu Hui looked around at the members of his club. He wore a black swallow-tailed suit and a top hat. In a serious tone, he said,


      "As we all know, Lou Cheng has not completely recovered yet from his internal injuries. Also, Lin Que is still affected by the remaining power of the Dark Poison Force. They are definitely not at their peak states. This is our chance!"


      "We have to admit that no matter what kind of career or what kind of business we are in, luck is always of great significance. Well this time, the luck belongs to us. If it wasn't for us confronting Songcheng University in the second round; or if Songcheng University hadn't been greatly hurt by Shanbei, we wouldn't have any hope of winning against them. But, presently, we have much more of a chance to win!"


      "Since we have the chance to win, we cannot miss it. What's more, we cannot let the chance go because of our own mistakes."


      "There is an old saying, 'God will blame you if you refuse to take what he gives to you!'"


      "God will blame you if you refuse to take what he gives to you... " Luo Haize and Yin Xiangxi repeated this sentence in their hearts. They were inspired and motivated by what the club manager, Qu Hui, said.


      …


      In the guest team locker room, Geezer Shi glanced at Lou Cheng and Lin Que. He greeted them and asked,


      "You two brats, can you fight today?"


      Although Lou Cheng and Lin Que did not look at each other, they answered him in unison,


      "I can!"




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     341 High Self-Esteem
      "Since both of you are able to fight, then the order of play doesn't matter." Geezer Shi displayed a careless attitude. "Yan, you go first. This can help you accumulate more experience in an actual match."


      "Yes, sir!" Yan Zheke responded with a clear and lively voice.


      Geezer Shi looked at Lin Que and said, "You're second. You should know where your limit is and never exhaust beyond it. Otherwise, you will be affected by the remaining poison force and it may cause damage to your health."


      He deliberately exaggerated the severe result. Just in case Lin Que decided to treat it carelessly and ignore it.


      Lin Que nodded slightly without showing any expression.


      Geezer Shi gave Lou Cheng a fleeting glance and said,


      "Brat, you also need to take care of yourself."


      "Yes, Master!" Lou Cheng now held a strong desire to fight in the arena. It had only taken a week to cure his injuries.


      …


      In the host team locker room, after encouraging all the members, Qu Hui glanced at Luo Haize and Yin Xiangxi. He shook his head and said,


      "What a pity! If the strength of Songcheng University's bench fighters hadn't improved so much, you two could defeat Lin Que in battle. Provided you two were in peak physical state. Then I would fight Lou Cheng on my own. His injuries haven't healed yet; it would be easy for me to defeat him."


      "Songcheng University's bench fighters have grown quickly. They are not easy targets to be handled quickly." Yin Xiangxi heaved another sigh.


      At present, Yan Zheke was as strong as a Professional Ninth Pin fighter. Li Mao also approached Ninth Pin. What's more, Sun Jian, Lin Hua, and Cai Zongming had the strength of Amateur First Pin. It was hard to defeat them.


      Luo Haize agreed with them. "Unless their opponent is you, our club manager."


      Qu Hui smiled modestly.


      "I have to maintain a relative amount of strength to fight against Lou Cheng, so I can't consume too much in advance. I'm guessing that Songcheng University will arrange their bench fighters to play first so that they can practice their actual ability; under the condition that their bench fighters are as strong as you. In addition, Lou Cheng's internal injuries haven't completely recovered yet. He will certainly be the last player. He'd rather win without fighting us."



      As he said this, he looked at Yin Xiangxi and said,


      "Li Mao always gets nervous when he is in a match. Although this isn't a serious problem, he will still be affected by it. Yan Zheke has experienced less actual combat than you and she is a girl; she will be easily rattled when confronted with an accident. What's more, Sun Jian and Cai Zongming are relatively weaker than you. Also, your playing style can restrain their abilities.


      "So you are the first to fight. If you play more ferociously, you will frighten them. Win the victory as soon as you can!"


      "Okay!" Yin Xiangxi clenched his fist, eager to fight.


      He was famous for his direct and violent attacks. He never defended himself. His courage and good judgment meant he was good at taking chances in a split second. He could scare people easily with his ferocious playing style.


      "In short, you need to cooperate with Haize so as to wear down Lin Que as much as possible. Don't spend too much energy on him. This is the key to winning this match," Qu Hui said excitedly.


      …


      The match was about to start. Lou Cheng, Yan Zheke, and the other members followed Geezer Shi. They walked out of the locker room and towards the guest team seats in a line.


      Just then, harsh booing suddenly erupted in the arena full of spectators. The boos lasted for a long time.


      "I wanted to go to the bathroom after hearing their noise." Talker did not care for their booing and ridiculed them with humor.


      Lou Cheng glared at him and said, "Then you need to check your prostate."


      "Different away-game venue styles are so different from one another! The students in Sanjiang University won't curse you or attack you, they only boo you!" Lou Cheng thought.


      Little Ming argued with him, "This is a kind of figure of speech. Don't you understand? You are so illiterate! Haha, hearing those sounds made you want to beat them down until they stopped booing, just like what we did in Yimo, right?"


      "It seems that you have experienced the scene in Yimo," Lou Cheng replied amused. "In the match with Yimo, we were the weak side who finally defeated the stronger opponent. But we are stronger than our opponents in today's match. Why should we care so much about them? For the satisfaction that's gained from hitting infants or the elders? Or bullying primary school students?"


      "Actually, bullying primary school students is very interesting. Really interesting." Cai Zongming thought for a while and replied to him frankly.


      As they were talking, they arrived at the guest team seats. The members sat down one by one.


      "Cheng, is what you said to Talker what you really feel?" Yan Zheke whispered in Lou Cheng's ears and asked him with a smile.


      "You know me better than anyone in the world." Lou Cheng let out a chuckle, "I'm trying to contempt them in a strategic way while focusing on fighting tactics. Qu Hui has entered the Dan stage. Also, he has made great progress with his improved supernatural flying ability, compared to his previous strength. Since he's defeated Eighth Pin fighters in Dan stage before, it will, however, be more difficult for me to defeat him."


      "Makes sense," Yan Zheke whispered to agree with him. She moved her eyes and said with a smile, "But there is still a long way for him to go to reach your level. Especially, since you can restrain his supernatural ability."


      Although Cheng can't fly, his supernatural ability of fire and frost can be forced out. So if Qu Hui wants to use the supernatural flying ability, he'll easily be shot down by Cheng's supernatural ability!


      Of course, Qu Hui's supernatural ability could not only help him fly but it also helped him control his opponents' movements in the match and use the space. He was much better than other fighters in high-ranking Dan Stage.


      "Since Coach Yan says so, then I should be proud of myself. Even though I'm reluctant to praise myself like this." Lou Cheng saw the referee enter the ring. He stood in the center, listening to the radio which was announcing the two opposing parties in the first round.


      Yin Xiangxi VS Yan Zheke!


      "Oh, it's him." Lou Cheng held Yan Zheke's hand and reminded her with great concern, "Never feel panic when you are fighting him."


      "Never get rattled either." Yan Zheke smiled and agreed with him.


      During the last week and even the last year, she and Cheng had watched many videos about Yin Xiangxi. They had already made a general plan about what they should do when they confronted him.


      "Keep calm and avoid being pulled into his ferocious rhythm. Keep cool and wander around. Even if there is a chance for you to hit him, don't do it directly. Not until Yin Xiangxi has consumed a lot or the perfect opportunity comes. When that happens you should take the chance to play your counterattacks without hesitation. To defeat him with one hit is called Clearance!"


      If you were stubborn, it would be hard to go further!


      Yan Zheke pinched Lou Cheng's palm slightly. She stood up and gave the other members a fist bump. She walked toward the flight of stairs at a steady pace.


      The boos became louder, mixed with a lot of flirtatious whistles. The atmosphere in the arena was heating up.


      Yan Zheke walked towards the ring step by step. She glanced at Yin Xiangxi who was already standing in the ring. Yin Xiangxi was a Yuppie boy with a beard. He appeared thin and calm. In actuality, he was very crazy and aggressive.


      He was also unconsciously attracted by her bright appearance. He found her so beautiful and attractive that it made him eager to show his gentleness instead of being violent.


      He shook his head to suppress the ripples rising from the bottom of his heart and again became ferocious.


      Sometimes looking handsome or beautiful was also a kind of inborn supernatural ability. It was called Temptation...


      The referee waited until Yan Zheke stood in the ring and set a fighting stance. He checked the clock. After more than ten seconds, he raised his right hand and announced,


      "Three-minute talk time."


      The important match had now officially begun. It would decide which team could advance to the finals and which team would be eliminated.


      If Sanjiang defeated Songcheng University in this match, then they would follow Shanbei and advance to the National Finals. Songcheng University would have to wait until next year.


      Yin Xiangxi took a breath and did not say anything. He stared at Yan Zheke with his dangerous eyes.


      Was this what people meant when they said looks could kill? Yan Zheke did not feel nervous at all. For some reason, she even wanted to laugh. She remembered how Cheng had ridiculed his opponents before.


      After a couple spent time alone together, they were gradually affected by each other.


      Yan Zheke stopped thinking about this. Ignoring the stare from her opponent, she began to adjust her own state.


      Yin Xiangxi suddenly opened his mouth and smiled faintly.


      "Rest assured, I won't attack you so ferociously."


      Do you mean that you don't need to go all out when you are fighting with me? Or are you planning to flirt with me so as to irritate me? Just as Yan Zheke began to contemplate his words, she saw that the referee was waving his right hand. He announced,


      "Begin now!"


      "Well, all the fighters have been affected by my brother's bad habit. They have learned to keep silent during the three-minute talk time and only say one sentence to confuse the opponent!" Yan Zheke thought for a while and was not irritated by him. She swung her waist and began to circle Yin Xiangxi with light steps as a climbing sheep would, agile and balanced. She gave her opponent no chance to perform a sound attack.


      She then took a chance to move to her opponent's side and raised her right arm. She quickly clenched her fist and hit him.


      Instead of defending himself, Yin Xiangxi tightened his thigh and performed a more ferocious and faster sidekick.


      PANG!


      If they kept fighting like this, Yan Zheke would be hit by her opponent's attack before she landed a fist on him.


      She calmed down and suppressed her impatience and panic. She kept with her planned play style. As Yin Xiangxi was performing a sidekick, she swung her waist to slide behind her opponent. She then dragged her right fist to the other side and bounced her shoulder to slam her fist into her opponent's temple.


      BAM! She sank her waist and struck again with her left fist. This attack was called "strike opponent's ears with both fists"!


      Yin Xiangxi suddenly bent down and shrank back his head. He exerted force into his feet and moved backward quickly. At the same time, he raised his elbows. He was about to hit violently towards Yan Zheke's abdomen.


      No ducking about and no blocking, he was betting everything on this one charge!


      Yan Zheke did not want to take this opportunity because the situation was too dangerous. She relieved the force in her arms and jumped backward in an agile and flexible way. This helped her shorten the distance between her and her opponent.


      After trading several blows with Yin Xiangxi, Yan Zheke gradually became familiar with his play style. While she no longer felt nervous or rattled, she chose to strictly obey the plan she'd made before the match. She continued to wander around and attack her opponent occasionally. Once the attack lost its target, she would immediately move away.


      BAM! BANG! Hearing the sounds from the attacks, Lou Cheng was a little worried. Even though he knew that the referee was a mighty fighter in the high-ranked Dan Stage who could definitely stop the attacks from two Professional Ninth Pin fighters, he was still nervous. He was afraid that Ke would be hurt by her opponent.


      Qu Hui, who sat in the host team area, was slightly depressed. His expectation for rapid victory was in tatters!


      Doesn't Yan Zheke lack the experience of actual combat?


      Don't girls feel nervous and panic more easily?


      How can she perform so practically and calmly? She wasn't even affected by Xiangxi's rhythm and gave him no target to hit even though he still has so much stamina!


      He won't consume Lin Que's stamina this way. Which means that I also can't fight with Lou Cheng in my peak physical state...


      So, is he going to risk it and use that "move"?


      Well, use it now! If we can win this match, we will advance to the National Finals. We never expected to win the match with Shanbei next week!


      …


      After Yan Zheke wandered around and tangled with Yin Xiangxi for a while, she noticed that his attacking momentum had decreased slightly. He was also becoming impatient. So she came up with an idea. She again approached him and visualized a horrible scene about Mega Avalanche in her mind. She shook her shoulder and raised her right arm slightly. It seemed that she was about to attack him.


      POP!


      Because Yin Xiangxi was impatient, he again performed a violent sidekick.


      Yan Zheke bounced her spine and was forced to change her center of gravity. She pulled her body to slide to the back of him right when he was standing on one leg!




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     342 Pennies From Heaven
      Pop!


      The moment Yan Zheke moved behind Yin Xiangxi, she exploded with force from her shaking shoulders, her right arm swinging forwards to pierce his temple.


      At this moment, Yin Xiangxi was standing on one leg and his opponent was also behind him, so he seemed to have no chance to dodge this attack.


      At this critical moment, he still kept his violent and brave play style. While his spine was bouncing like a bow, he forced his left leg, which had just lost its target, to move again and launch a backward Front Sweep. Thanks to this move, he managed to turn his body to the side and successfully evaded Yan Zheke's killing strike.


      No ducking about and no blocking, he bet everything on this one charge!


      This time, however, Yan Zheke chose not to retreat and circle around. She decided to borrow the force in her right arm, which had been dodged, to help her jump forward. After the jump, she again came to the back of her opponent and took advantage of her body's rotation to ward off the whip kick which had swept towards her.


      Noticing her opponent's irritation, she took advantage of the opportunity and did not hesitate to perform a counterattack. She struck out with a killing move, Clearance!


      Pop! Her leg kicked out like a whip toward Yin Xiangxi's standing leg.


      At this moment, Yin Xiangxi lost all of his momentum and was unable to maintain his posture. He had no choice but to give up his stance and rolled forward like a lazy donkey, narrowly avoiding the swift leg!


      Yan Zheke stepped on the ground with her right foot and then approached him with sliding steps. She moved her left leg down again to launch an explosive kick to his chest.


      Boom! Yin Xiangxi barely managed to cross his arms and endure this kick.


      Pop! Pop! Pop! Yan Zheke visualized the scene of Brutal Blizzard and kicked out with her legs one after the other. Her kicks becoming faster and heavier as they repeated!


      Bang! Bang! Bang! Because Yin Xiangxi was lying on the ground it was difficult for him to exert any force. After he set his arms and managed to ward off Yan Zheke's three kicks, his defensive posture finally collapsed. Yan Zheke followed up with a quick bouncing kick which stopped just above his exposed throat.


      "Round one, Yan Zheke wins!" The referee announced after glancing at them.



      "Yes!" Yan Zheke showed her overwhelming excitement and turned around to wave toward the visiting team area. She just saw that Lou Cheng had jumped up and was letting out celebratory punches continuously. "He looks even more excited than me," thought Yan Zheke.


      Before the match, who could imagine that I could defeat Yin Xiangxi in this way?


      Things will become much easier for us as long as we can find a play style that can restrain our opponent and then strictly carry out this style!


      "Crap!" Qu Hui hid his anger and depression in his heart and did not scold Yin Xiangxi verbally!


      Qu Hui thought to himself, "I expected so much from Yin Xiangxi. I always thought that he would be able to quickly defeat the bench fighters of Songcheng University, but in the end not to mention failing to get a fast win, he didn't even manage to win the match at all!"


      How can we fight this battle?


      My expected plan went wrong from the very beginning...


      For now, I can only pray that both Lou Cheng's and Lin Que's injuries are more severe than I expected.


      "Go on. Try your best." Qu Hui patted Luo Haize's shoulder powerlessly.


      I hope he can at least consume some of Lin Que's stamina...


      "Yes, Sir!" Luo Haize stood up. He was tall and strong, a physique which meant he was naturally talented for martial arts.


      After Yan Zheke calmed down she found that the muscles in her legs had become sore and tight, while her stamina was almost exhausted to the limit.


      A skirmish fight needs fast movements, accurate coordination, and agile footwork, which means it consumes much more stamina than most other fighting styles. Yan Zheke had fought with Yin Xiangxi in this way for several minutes and even performed 24 Blizzard Strikes mixed with a Yin-yang Twist at the end of the match. It was only natural for her to feel so exhausted by the end of the match.


      She put her hands on her knees and gasped while watching Luo Haize stride up and pass by Yin Xiangxi.


      Maybe I'll still able to trade a few blows with him...


      After I'm defeated, my cousin and Luo Cheng are up next. Both of them seem eager to fight...


      It seems like there is no need for me to struggle to my limits...


      She thought for a while and then held herself upright. She turned around and walked out of the ring along the flight of stairs.


      The referee glanced at Luo Haize who was already standing there, stunned, and announced loudly,


      "Round two, Luo Haize wins!"


      "I won? Just like that?" Luo Haize stared at Yan Zheke's retreating figure, wearing a confused face and felt like he was not in an important competition at that moment.


      Lin Que unzipped his coat and took it off. After he was wished luck by Lou Cheng, he walked toward his cousin calmly.


      "I won't say 'go for it'." Yan Zheke pursed her lips and let out a chuckle while holding her hand up to give her cousin a fist bump.


      What she meant was that to fight with an opponent of this class, he did not even need any support.


      "This opponent is suited to my recovery." Lin Que answered precisely and approached the stone steps to waves of catcalls.


      Behind him, Lou Cheng walked toward Yan Zheke and held her steadily. He laughed and said,


      "Good job!"


      This was a joke they always made after they lost a match to Peng Leyun, about the difference between "You've tried your best" and "Good job".


      "Then I'll accept your praise immodestly," Yan Zheke replied in a cute tone and laughed.


      While Lin Que was coming up to the ring, the bones in his body made a crack sound, just like a rusty machine which had begun to rotate. His momentum increased in an awe-inspiring manner.


      When he reached the position opposite to Luo Haize, his momentum had become as deep as the sea and seemed to have turned tangible.


      Suddenly, Luo Haize became very nervous and scared, like a rabbit who had run into a tiger. He could not help but think of the scene when Lin Que was fighting with Shannan. In that match, Lin Que performed a Dan stage explosion at the very beginning.


      Am I seriously getting scared before the match is even started?


      Just as this thought flashed across his mind, he finally heard the referee's announcement;


      "Begin now!"


      Luo Haize moved without thinking, not daring to spend one more second in the same spot. He moved quickly and steadily.


      Lin Que straightened his knees and threw himself straight at his opponent. Even though he did not perform Force Concentration, his speed was still as fast as lightning.


      With only a few steps, he shortened the distance between the two in a moment.


      Luo Haize immediately exerted force into his legs and tried to evade Lin Que's charge. Lin Que, however, swayed his center of gravity and launched his attacks simultaneously.


      After a few seconds, Lin Que closed in on his opponent with his faster and agiler movements. He then continued to attack Luo Haize and force him to dodge in a hurry. Luo Haize had to avoid facing Lin Que face to face, otherwise, he would hit by Meteor Force.


      In a split second, Luo Haize was forced to dodge several attacks in a row, while Lin Que remained calm and condensed his qi, blood, spirit, and force.


      Boom! Lin Que broke out his Dan qi and expanded his right leg before he stamped and pounded on the ground strongly.


      Bang! With a muffled sound, the ground under Luo Haize's feet split open as if a volcano was erupting, causing him to lose his balance and start wobbling


      Lin Que took the opportunity to move a step forward. He then swelled his muscles and swung his right arm quickly.


      He threw a fist toward his opponent, a fist which was like a meteor, flying across the sky.


      Luo Haize did not have the time to duck, so he barely kept his balance and crossed his arms to ward off this violent attack.


      Bang!


      The "Meteor" fell to the ground and exploded as if it were a bomb. The shock wave swept out, engulfing Luo Haize's whole body, causing his blood and muscles to tremble as if in fear.


      Pop! Pop! Pop! Lin Que swung his arms swiftly as he continually attacked his opponent, giving Luo Haize no chance for respite.


      Bang! Bang! Bang! Luo Haize was hit by several of Lin Que's punches, causing him to fall to the ground and begin retching.


      The referee raised his right hand and announced,


      "Round Three, Lin Que wins!"


      "Round three, Lin Que wins..." In the home team's seating area, Qu Hui felt desperate. He covered his face with one hand and thought that he did not have any hope to win this match anymore.


      How could Luo Haize be defeated so fast, before he even consumed some of his opponent's stamina!?


      As a result, I'll have to try my best while fighting with Lin Que, and I can't even think of saving energy for Lou Cheng later!


      They are just rubbish!


      He scolded his team-mates in his heart while gnashing teeth before walking out of the seating area and toward the ring in a hesitant manner.


      No matter what will happen, I still need to fight!


      While he was walking forward, he suddenly stared at Lin Que and was stunned.


      Lin Que, who stood by the edge of the ring, changed his attacking stance and turned around to walk down the flight of stairs.


      Walking down the flight of stairs?


      Walking down the flight of stairs!?


      "Ehh? What happened to brother-in-law?" Lou Cheng asked, confused at what he was seeing.


      Yan Zheke who sat next to him also looked dumb. After a moment, she murmured, "My brother may want to leave you an opponent who is still fresh."


      What did she mean by "fresh"? Lou Cheng's mouth twitched and he almost laughed out. He stood up and walked forward by instinct.


      He only held hands with Yan Zheke and totally forgot to give a high five or a fist bump with the other members.


      While Lou Cheng met Lin Que halfway, he smiled and said,


      "Your behavior is really putting a lot of pressure on me."


      If I lose, our team will have to bid farewell to the national finals!


      Lin Que gave Lou Cheng an emotionless glance and said,


      "I need to stop where I should stop."


      "You stopped too early... " Lou Cheng thought to himself, but he also understood the other meaning hiding behind this sentence from the eyes of his brother-in-law, that was:


      If you can't beat Qu Hui on your own, then how can we even hope to advance to the national finals?


      "Uh... Is he trying to goad me? Is he worrying that the match with Shanbei will cast a shadow on me?" Lou Cheng suddenly woke up and smiled.


      "Then I'll have to try my best."


      My Brother-in-law is really a Hinekuremono! [1]


      After bumping fists with Lin Que, Lou Cheng stared at the ring and moved forward.


      Fight with Qu Hui by myself?


      No one is a coward here!


      While Qu Hui, who now had already stepped in the center of the ring, stood still; as if he was experiencing an amazing dream, and was afraid that moving would mean he had to wake up from it.


      I tried so hard to arrange for this match. I kept praying and hoping to have a chance to fight against Lou Cheng by myself only to have my hopes dashed... and now, my dream has somehow come true again?!


      After both Xiangxi and Haize lost the match, I almost gave up on this round. Luckily Lin Que got off the ring by himself!


      It's like pennies are dropping from heaven!


      The corners of his mouth even lifted into a smile as he found himself unable to conceal the ecstasy in his heart.


      There is only yourself to blame if you refuse an offer from the Heavens!




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     343 The Feeling of Desperation
      Lin Que had a strong or even abnormal desire for victory — He wouldn't give up if he was still able to fight — So the remains of Dark Poison Force within his body must have been severe than I anticipated, forcing him to stop after defeating Luo Haize — I need to thank Fang Zhirong for giving me this chance to challenge Lou Cheng in a man-to-man fight. How lucky I am!


      Deducing what might happen in his mind regardless of other factors, Qu Hui found it quite logical and smiled unconsciously.


      I hope Lou Cheng's internal injuries are more severe than I predicted!


      No, even if his injuries are only as bad as I predicted, I'll still be the winner today!


      Focusing on Lou Cheng, who looked a little pale, he watched the young man climb up to the stage step by step, finally stopping in front of him.


      Qu Hui greeted Lou Cheng with a smile, and then took off his top hat, putting it to his chest while bowing to Lou Cheng.


      Lou Cheng responded by cupping his hands in recognition.


      The referee did not give them much time to chat. He raised his right hand and said loudly,


      "Go!"


      This is the last round of the match!


      Upon hearing the referee's words, Yan Zheke clenched her fists tightly and opened her eyes widely, even though she was confident in Lou Cheng. She saw Qu Hui jump up immediately to levitate in the air, several meters above the ground, and then he threw his hat out in a casual manner.


      The hat flew over and landed in the home team's area.


      As soon as it touched the ground, Qu Hui turned upside down while making a fist with his right hand. In the audience's eyes, he was like a meteor descending on Lou Cheng!


      The sound of his fluttering clothes made everyone's heart beat faster.


      Though it was not the first time the audience had witnessed such a blockbuster movie scene, they still felt their adrenalin pumping.


      Facing the attack from above, Lou Cheng kept a stable stance while visualizing a beast-head statue stepping on a red dragon. The statue immediately suppressed the raging hot wave within his body and paved the way for him to gather strength in his fist as he punched upward.



      Pop!


      As if hitting something invisible, his punch caused a flaming explosion that pierced the audience's eyes.


      Zhu Rong Force, the supernatural ability of blaze!


      As the flame flooded out towards him, Qu Hui suddenly stopped descending and turned to fly upward, dodging just in time to avoid the disaster of having his hair and clothes lit on fire.


      Squinting at Lou Cheng without any surprise showing on his face, he took a quick breath to withdraw his qi, blood, force, and spirit before suddenly releasing them.


      Hum! Qu Hui again descended headfirst with his seemingly inflated body. But this time he began rotating like a drill, diving straight towards his opponent on the ground. The surroundings and even the air were affected by his movement and began shaking oddly!


      It was a mixture of the burst of Dan stage, gravitational acceleration, and terrifying rotation, "The Flesh Whirlwind"!


      If Qu Hui had reached a higher rank, with access to a weapon, his attack would have been even more shocking!


      Remaining in his original stance, Lou Cheng took a step back abruptly when Qu Hui's rotating fist was about to touch his head. It seemed that Lou Cheng intended to swipe at his opponent's waist and abdomen instead of directly facing his attack.


      At this moment, Qu Hui's falling figure changed direction, suddenly flying sideways, by using the gravitational acceleration to rebound his fist toward Lou Cheng.


      He must land a blow on Lou Cheng with his fist by any means!


      He not only devoted all his strength to this punch, also taking advantage of the external conditions to make the rotational force increase in strength and impetus!


      "It's the most powerful punch I've thrown in all my years of martial arts…" this thought flashed through Qu Hui's mind, giving him the confidence to destroy everything that tried to block his path.


      Lou Cheng lowered his waist while gathering Force Concentration. Then he raised his right arm up to block Qu Hui's "drill" with the palm of his half-clenched fist.


      Bang bang bang! A series of collisions sounded as the fascia stood out on Lou Cheng's palm, blocking Qu Hui's fist. The fingers, which were impacting violently with the spinning fist, gradually radiated a metallic luster.


      On the other side, Qu Hui felt as if his most powerful blow had landed on a steel plate that he was unable to break or pierce no matter how hard he tried.


      No, even a steel plate would be destroyed by my punch!


      Crack! Lou Cheng, in his black martial arts suit with white trim, turned his toes inward while stepping heavily enough to cause a spiderweb of cracks to spread around him. While his whole body stood still, his right arm slightly swung forward like a wave, easily canceling out Qu Hui's Flesh Whirlwind.


      "He blocked my most powerful punch so easily? Is the gap between us really this wide?" Is the strength of an initial Sixth-Pin fighter this terrifying? A sudden flash of desperation seized Qu Hui for an instant.


      Seeing the Flesh Whirlwind slow down, Lou Cheng tightened his half-clenched fist in an attempt to grab Qu Hui's hand.


      At this moment, Qu Hui bounced upward with the help of his back and waist as if being pulled by an invisible hand, allowing him to narrowly escape from Lou Cheng's grasp.


      He would definitely lose if he was caught by Lou Cheng and filled with his wave of icy cold energy!


      Once again floating in the air several meters above the ground, Qu Hui reigned in the desperate and pessimistic thoughts running through his mind while deciding to change his strategy. Instead of dashing and attacking directly, this time he used the advantage of his flying supernatural ability at changing directions quickly and oddly, with a different kind of rotational force, to disrupt Lou Cheng's rhythm. He was sure Lou Cheng would soon expose some flaws because of his internal injuries.


      Qu Hui dived toward Lou Cheng like a fighter jet and then leveled out when they were about to collide. Qu Hui's trajectory formed a beautiful arc in the air as he flashed to Lou Cheng's side and released a kick toward his temple.


      Bang! Lou Cheng raised his left arm and blocked the kick in time.


      Pam! Qu Hui immediately turned his kick into step, borrowing strength from it to kick at Lou Cheng with the other leg, which seemed too quick for Lou Cheng to react.


      However, Lou Cheng again raised his arm in advance and blocked the attack in time.


      Bang bang bang! Qu Hui made a series of kicks with both feet, which fell on Lou Cheng like a storm, giving him no chance to take a breath.


      Bang bang bang! Though seeming to be in a panic while blocking the kicks, Lou Cheng would always escape from Qui Hui's attack in time and keep his defense stable.


      All of a sudden, Qu Hui changed his direction and appeared behind Lou Cheng, where he sent a kick toward the acupoint at the back of Lou Cheng's head with the instep of his foot.


      The series of kicks he made previously was to attract Lou Cheng's attention, leaving him open to this attack.


      Bang! Lou Cheng turned sideways and threw out his arm, which barely managed to land on the instep of Qu Hui's foot.


      Bang bang bang! Qu Hui continued creating chances to attack time after time by stopping and changing directions abruptly in the air with his flying supernatural ability. However, each time Lou Cheng would predict his attack and barely block it in time, regardless of his minor errors.


      After a while, Qu Hui started becoming depressed and desperate again, feeling like he was not facing Lou Cheng but a lofty mountain while being a fool who tried in vain to move it. No matter what he did, Lou Cheng remained steady as a rock!


      He had every reason to be desperate.


      How did he survive that round of attacks just now? Thinking about it, Qu Hui began visualization in his mind to control his negative emotions and then gathered and condensed all his qi, blood, spirit, force and feelings while floating in the air.


      Now that the normal attacks failed, he could only use Force Concentration to strengthen his supernatural ability!


      Poom!


      As his Danqi spewed out like a volcanic eruption, Qu Hui cut the airflow and created a fierce wind. He did all this within seconds as if his butt was on fire.


      He turned to draw half a circle in the wind and again appeared at Lou Cheng's back.


      As he stopped abruptly, most of the remaining kinetic energy was transferred to his tightened legs, kicking at Lou Cheng's neck fiercely like a whip.


      Will you still manage to escape this time?


      Lou Cheng felt his neck arching as the fierce wind approached, but he didn't dodge this time. Instead, along with gathering and condensing his danqi, Lou Cheng threw his right hand at Qu Hui like a whip.


      Bang! The whip-like hand met Qu Hui's whip kick with a dull thud.


      Feeling his shin arching and body shaking wildly, Qu Hui dared not stay where he was and began flying upward to hide in midair.


      He desperately fought the urge to rub his legs in consideration of his public image.


      Still failed? Qu Hui again launched an attack since he couldn't believe in his eyes. However, after Double Explosions with the help of his flying supernatural ability, Lou Cheng's defense was still stable and Qu Hui still couldn't find a path to victory.


      Flying upward while suspended in the air, Qu Hui gasped for breath, feeling extremely tired.


      He didn't have abnormal stamina like Lou Cheng, and the long fight had already worn him out. While on the other side, Lou Cheng was still breathing evenly and only sweating a little!


      "How can I continue fighting against him?" Qu Hui fell into another round of desperation and depression, almost giving up the thought of attacking.


      "He hasn't recovered from his internal injuries, he hasn't recovered yet…" Qu Hui kept telling himself like a self-hypnosis.


      "Yeah, he hasn't recovered from his internal injuries yet. I will definitely influence him and create a chance to win through continuous fierce attacks!" Qu Hui took a deep breath and made up his mind.


      He began another visualization, working his supernatural ability and stimulating all the spirit and blood within his body!


      As a familiar feeling of strength began spreading out, Qu Hui's face turned between red and black, finally calming down. It seemed that his body had become a little larger.


      He returned to his peak form with the help of a secret technique!


      Come on, let's fight to the end and see who will be the winner!


      Lou Cheng looked up, took a glance at Qu Hui, and slightly shook his head.


      What does he mean? As the feeling of confusion flashed across Qu Hui's mind, he again dived toward Lou Cheng like a fighter jet.


      At this moment, Lou Cheng arched his backbone, raised both arms and threw out two separate balls, one of chilling cool light and the other of red flame.


      Boom! The cool light and red flame burst and collided to form a mixture in front of Qu Hui, leaving behind a white fog that obscured his vision to some extent.


      In the white world, Qu Hui suddenly noticed a figure flying towards him while several meters in the air!


      Lou Cheng? His pupils constricted like two pinpoints as Qu Hui realized that his opponent had jumped above him.


      This brought him both surprise and great joy. It was so unbelievable that Qu Hui doubted his own eyes.


      Did Lou Cheng become silly? Is he giving up his advantages to fight me in midair?


      What a wonderful mistake he's making! I should kill myself if I still can't defeat him!


      This must be a gift from heaven!


      When Qu Hui, who was too excited, was about to move, he saw Lou Cheng form a mudra seal with both hands while his facial expression turned serious.


      "Bing!"


      Upon hearing Lou Cheng's low voice, Qu Hui shook abruptly, feeling as if he had been drawn into a battlefield full of thousands upon thousands of horses and soldiers, whose murderous look frightened him and made him panic.


      Nine Words Formula, "Bing" Formula!


      Lou Cheng fell down, catching Qu Hui by the shoulder and immediately pouring Frost Force into Qu Hui's body, forcing Qu Hui to fall toward the ground from midair!


      As the sound of wind poured into Qu Hui's ears, he regained consciousness but was unable to escape from the control of Lou Cheng's Frost Force. All he could do was to watch as he fell towards the ground.


      Am I going to die… As soon as the idea occurred to Qu Hui, he felt himself slow down, suddenly landing on his back lightly.


      Lou Cheng withdrew his hands and straightened his body, not intending to continue his attack on Qu Hui. While his opponent was frozen on the other side, unable to move for the moment.


      "The fifth round, Lou Cheng wins!" The referee announced without hesitation, "The final result, Songcheng University Martial Arts Club wins!"


      The referee's words roused Qu Hui, but he still felt like he was dreaming.


      I wouldn't have lasted if Lou Cheng had used that attack from the beginning. So why did we fight for so long?


      In confusion and desperation, he saw Lou Cheng give him a smile and then say softly,


      "It's so interesting to fight against someone with a flying supernatural ability."




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     344 Certain Victory
      "It's interesting to fight against someone with a flying supernatural ability…" lying on the ground, Qu Hui looked up at Lou Cheng while repeating what he had just said unconsciously. He almost forgot that his frozen body was already able to move, forgot to stand up, and forgot about his public image.


      "He extended the fight just to enjoy the experience of fighting against someone with the supernatural ability to fly?"


      Tok Tok Tok! Qu Hui's heart was beating quickly, pumping hot blood and diluting the remaining Frost Force. However, instead of feeling warm, he felt like he had fallen into an ice pit that was gloomy, cold, and oppressive.


      Is this what despair tastes like?


      Is the gap between us this wide?


      I could still be defeated within seconds even though he hasn't recovered from internal injuries yet?


      All the positive self-images turned into sarcasm and slaps to his own face…


      How could a pig fly!


      Lou Cheng


       made a gesture to show his respect and then turned to walk downstairs.


      To be honest, Qu Hui's combat ability was the same as a Seventh-Pin fighter. Any other initial Sixth-Pin fighter who was recovering from internal injuries would end up shipwrecked in a ditch if they underestimated this opponent. However, some of Lou Cheng's special kungfu restrained Qu Hui's movement, enabling Lou Cheng to perform an instakill as if he was fighting against a fighter with no supernatural ability, who had just entered the Dan stage.


      For example, though the Ice Mirror couldn't help Lou Cheng predict when and how his opponent would use the supernatural flying ability, he knew Qu Hui would kick first instead of crashing towards him directly, so he could still sense Qu Hui's prelude in advance. Thus Lou Cheng was able to "predict" Qu Hui's movement and react to it in advance. As a result, however odd Qu Hui's direction-changing ability was, all of his efforts were in vain. Meanwhile, the Bing Formula could reach its target from a distance, which helped Lou Cheng attack Qu Hui without approaching him. On the other side, Qu Hui neither had any special defense methods nor a strong spirit that was capable of resisting Lou Cheng's attack directly. Considering all of this, it's no surprise that Lou Cheng was the winner.


      In other words, it would be more difficult for Lou Cheng to fight against any other normal Seventh-Pin fighter in his present physical condition.



      Of course, the rule of the Challenge Tournament also restrained Qu Hui's actions. If weapons were permitted, Qu Hui would probably be able to change the result by using a bow, a bolt, or a gun while flying in midair.


      Seeing Lou Cheng leaving the arena and walking towards the auditorium, the audience gradually quieted down, only leaving a trace of the previous boos echoing in the gymnasium.


      They would be actually be booing themselves if they continued.


      Coming back along the path, Lou Cheng was greeted by Yan Zheke, who yelled with a big smile and clenched fists,


      "Cheng, good job! You did your best!"


      It was actually a joke in response to the previous "You've tried your best" and "Good job".


      Exchanging a tacit smile, Lou Cheng felt even happier. After a fist bump with Yan Zheke, he gave five to Lin Que, Li Mao, and Cai Zongming one by one, and all of them were overjoyed.


      Since Haiyuan was weaker than Sanjiang, they had practically reached the national competition with today's victory!


      "Though I want to celebrate, my reason is warning me that I can't arrogantly look down on Haiyuan," Sun Jian said and laughed.


      "I'm so glad that you're being rational! Just lay low and build your good character!" Lin Hua said, casting a glance at him.


      Old Shi waved to dissolve the cheering crowd and said, "Go back to the locker room first. You have the nerve to celebrate in front of all these sad students?"


      "Of course we have the nerve!" Cai Zongming answered without hesitation.


      Though saying that, he still followed the group to the locker room, leaving the depressed audience behind.


      Yeah, they definitely had the nerve to celebrate, but Cai Zongming was afraid of being surrounded and trampled by young students driven by impulsiveness…


      Yan Xiaoling was still in the stands like an abandoned quail, not knowing what to do. The gloomy faces around were so scary that she dared not celebrate.


      "Oh, no!" She sighed deliberately and hinted for Mu Jinnian to lower her head and pretend they were also depressed.


      Don't beat me, I'm one of you!


      ...


      At 3:45 pm on January 5th, in the martial arts arena of Haiyuan School.


      While watching the fierce match in the arena, Lou Cheng leaned over to Yan Zheke, smiled towards her, and whispered in her ear,


      "Your brother doesn't want me to fight today?"


      Yan Zheke rolled her eyes at him and said, "Wasn't it enough that my brother left you a complete Qu Hui in the last match?"


      It was Sun Jian's turn to be the forward in the competition against Haiyuan School, but he was unlucky enough to encounter one of the opponent's leading players, Cheng Du and Jin Sha, who were both Dan-stage fighters with a supernatural ability. But Lin Que soon replaced Sun Jian and got revenge for him with Doomed Death after a three-minute fierce battle.


      In the third round, Lin Que seized the opportunity to defeat a Professional-Ninth-Pin warrior through a burst of Dan stage, and he was now fighting against another Professional-Ninth-Pin with his tired body.


      While Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke were whispering to each other, Lin Que discovered his opponent's flaw with mercurial balance and immediately threw out a rapid series of blows full of Meteor force.


      Bang!


      Lu Yaqian felt her Qi and blood were burning, almost bursting out from her throat, and all of her internal organs seemed to be trembling along with her fascia and muscles. Trying in vain to raise her arms and gather strength, she could do nothing else but watch Lin Que's fist approach her, finally stopping next to her temple.


      The referee raised his right hand and announced loudly with the sound from his Dantian,


      "Round Four, Lin Que wins!"


      "The final result, Songcheng University Martial Arts Club wins!"


      Lin Que withdrew his fist and began gasping. While the sweat was dripping from his forehead, his eyes, filled with tiredness, were full of joy.


      Lou Cheng and the others sprang up to give five to each other as if saying "Happy New Year" in the Spring Festival.


      National Competitions, we're coming!


      They were not cheering out of excitement after winning a hard battle, but for finally gaining what they deserved.


      When they came back to the campus in Songcheng, Cai Zongming grinned and suggested,


      "Shall we dine together to celebrate our victory?"


      It was quite reasonable since Song Cheng University Martial Arts Club had not participated in the National Competition for many years!


      "Okay, where shall we go?" Lou Cheng agreed without any hesitation at all.


      After saying that, he suddenly realized it was not his decision to make and hurried to turn his gaze toward Old Shi with an embarrassed look.


      "Go go go. Enjoy yourself and celebrate your victory in however you like since it's someone's treat. But don't forget to bring me some good wine. Just chalk up the cost to Martial Arts Club's account." Old Shi promised with a big smile.


      The crowd let out a whoop of joy and then began discussing where to meet up. Finally, Little Ming announced,


      "Let's go to the sidewalk snack booth. Although it's a low-end restaurant, we are free to enjoy ourselves there and the atmosphere is suitable for our celebration.


      After inviting Shu Rui and her team, the Martial Arts Club reached a sidewalk snack booth near their old campus and seated themselves. They ordered a full table of dishes including roasted, wok braised goose lips, etc.


      After opening one bottle of wine for Old Shi and serving themselves juice, they all toasted their victory in front of the camera and yelled in excitement,


      "National Competition! National Competition!"


      It was an announcement from a group of aspiring youth!


      The cheering crowd reminded Shu Rui of when she was in her prime, in university, and she couldn't help sighing with emotion.


      If she could go back to the first day of school, she would cherish and enjoy every bit of her school life.


      Once they graduated from school, they would say goodbye to each other and start pursuing their own goals separately. Then lots of friendships and happy memories would slowly dissipate.


      However, they were too excited to control their tone and ended up annoying those sitting nearby. Soon a man with tattoos on his arms went to them and yelled,


      "You're so noisy!"


      "Sorry, we will behave ourselves." Lou Cheng hurried to apologize in embarrassment, feeling their behavior transgressed social morality.


      The young man looked around and then sneered before saying,


      "Do you think that's good enough?"


      Several strong men stood up from his table.


      Lou Cheng's lips twitched, then he said,


      "What about this?"


      With a flip of his wrists, a fireball was thrown onto the ground, exploding in front of the man with tattoos as the flames roared, casting light on their faces.


      ... The young man with tattoos was stunned, not knowing whether to step forward or back. One of his trembling fellows came to muddle through the affair and then helped him to walk back.


      Ignoring the astonishment of people sitting around, Lou Cheng withdrew his hand, sat down, and began biting a stick of beef.


      Though we don't want to cause trouble, we are not afraid of trouble!


      "Cheng, that's not your usual style?" Yan Zheke asked, leaned over toward him, and smiled.


      "Why isn't it?" Lou Cheng felt it funny and then asked in response.


      Rolling her eyes and slightly biting her lips, Yan Zheke replied, "I expected you to break the cement floor with one step and scare them back, but you used the power of blaze instead. Well, it was more exaggerated than your usual style~!"


      " You alone understand me. Actually, at first I intended to lay low after breaking the floor, but I gave up the idea after serious consideration." Lou Cheng said and then sighed.


      "Why?" Yan Zheke blinked, bewildered and concerned.


      Lou Cheng replied with deep hatred and resentment, "I would be fined if I broke the floor!"


      Once bitten by a snake, one shies away from a coiled rope for the next ten years!


      Haha! Yan Zheke turned to hide her laughter while her body was trembling.


      When the dinner came to its end, it was past eight in the evening. Everyone was full so they began toasting and yelling,


      "National Competition! National Competition!"


      ...


      It as almost time for Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke's examination week, so they had to suffer through a mixture of reviewing and testing.


      When the 16th of January finally arrived and they only had one last exam, something else important happened.


      The lot-drawing ceremony for the National University Division Martial Arts Competition!


      Sixteen tough martial arts teams from eight divisions would fight against each other in groups!


      Every member of the martial arts club gathered in front of the computer in the office, waiting for the live broadcast.


      Shu Rui was also there to record their reactions.


      For her, Songcheng University was on the same level as Huahai and Guangnan, while being just a little weaker than Shan University and Capital University. So they had a chance to make it into the top four. Since it was their first time joining the national competition, they had no historical performance and were unable to be ranked as a seeded team in the beginning. Now their record would greatly depend on the drawing result since they didn't know whether their opponents were powerful or not.




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     345 Drawing Resul
      In the specially designed studio, the hostess walked to the middle of the room in a graceful manner. She thanked the special guest for their speech and then invited the old gentleman Fang Jingjue, President of the National University Martial Arts Federation, to the stage.


      The large screen behind her began to repeat a collection of all those 16 teams' fighting moments.


      "Mr. Fang, you look even more energetic than before." The hostess greeted Fang Jinjue with a smile.


      Though his hair had already turned grey, Fang Jingjue was pretty good-looking like a middle-aged man. He replied with a smile, "Little Fan, I remember you said so last year."


      "So I'm right! It proves that you are getting younger and more energetic!" Fang Jinjue could not hold a candle to Fan Leqi when it came to cracking a joke, while the latter took the opportunity to change the topic and said, "Mr. Fang, I believe that this year's competition will be more exciting than the previous one!"


      "It still remains to be seen since the drawing result hasn't come out yet," Fang Jinjue said cooperatively.


      "Obviously it will be! Zhen Huansheng and Ann Chaoyang are going to graduate from Guangnan and Huahai this July. Are they willing to always be suppressed by Peng Leyun and leave the university martial arts circle without as much glory as they deserve? They both had reached the top Seventh Pin before last year's National Competition, and it's likely that they'll join this year's competition with progress. Besides, Piao Yuan of Huahai and Li Xiaoyuan of Guangnan are both talented fighters who have grown up to be possible candidates for the championship!" Fan Leqi was so familiar with all the fighters and their teams.


      Piao Yuan of Huahai was a year above Lou Cheng and Lin Que.


      "I don't see great differences between this year's competition and the previous one," Fang Jinjue said deliberately, with his crow's feet appearing when he smiled.


      Fan Leqi replied, "As far as I see it, the gap between them and the level of Shanbei and Capital University has narrowed! Besides, they are not the only dark horse this year since the Martial Arts Clubs of Hudong and Guoyang University both defeated renowned teams and advanced as the champion in their own division, which showed their great strength. It is a surprise that these teams are among the top four!"


      "What's more, don't look down on those teams that advanced after the champions in their own division. Mingdao University was one of the two dark horses this year, for it almost defeated Guangnan and the three He brothers gradually showed their talent in the arena. Not to mention that their formation is still able to be advanced."



      In front of the screen, Lou Cheng and the other fellows slightly nodded in agreement with what she said. They had already heard of Mingdao University, who had narrowly missed the chance to create miracles.


      Just like Songcheng University, who had been struggling among normal universities, Mingdao University was not famous for its martial arts, either. The situation began taking a turn for the better after He Yifang, the eldest brother in He family, entered Mingdao as a Professional Ninth Pin fighter.


      The next year, the twins, He Erlong and He Santai, both entered Mingdao University. Though they were just Amateur Fist Pin fighters in the beginning, they reached Ninth Pin in October.


      Though the three brothers' development was not as smooth as Lin Que's, no one dared to look down upon them. On the one hand, He Yifang reached the Dan stage in the second half of his sophomore year and was now a junior student. On the other hand, He Santai succeed in learning Force Concentration before this year's district contest, while He Erlong was the only one who had not made great progress and was still at the level of top Professional Ninth Pin.


      Considering all of this, they were still not powerful enough to cause any trouble to Guangnan University. However, as a martial arts aristocratic family, the He clan had its own special method named the Heaven and Secular World Sword Formation, which the three brothers had been practicing since they began learning Kung Fu and could now cooperate very well with each other. That was why they were able to fight against an Inhuman Level warrior with their relatively plain Kung Fu.


      For them, one plus one plus one was greater than three, or even greater than five!


      The first time, the three brothers were not Zhen Huansheng's match as Professional-Ninth-Pin fighters and lost to the Guangnan's huge-crowd strategy without suspense. When He Yifang and He Santai both became Dan-stage warriors of the Eighth Pin and their formation was thus greatly enhanced, they almost made Guangnan fall miserably in that seemingly easy task.


      In conclusion, the He brothers would definitely apply for a special competition format and fight together no matter who their opponent was.


      "It reminds me of a line in a movie." Cai Zongming laughed while listening to Fan Leqi's introductions. "For one-on-one, you'll fight against us, and for the mass brawl, we'll fight against you."


      In "Talker's" bad jokes, Fang Jingjue told Fan Leqi, "Mingdao is actually a dark horse with great potential. There are still two and a half months before the final round, and it's just conceivable that He Erlong might reach the Dan stage during this period. And the Heaven and Secular World Sword Formation formed by three Dan-stage fighters of the Eighth Pin is worth the wait."


      "You see, Mr. Fang, you're echoing my views." Fan Leqi complained deliberately. "And the other dark horse is also worth looking forward to. Songcheng University Martial Arts Club was listed among the favorite teams! But Shanbei and Capital were still leading the opinion polls. Well, Shanbei is on the top and much more popular than Capital.


      "Mr. Fang, what's your comment on Songcheng University Martial Arts Club? While Lou Cheng's combat effectiveness was equal to a faible Sixth Pin, Lin Que has already reached top Eighth Pin, and they must have advanced a step further or even more in April."


      Fang Jinjue smiled. "I've been focusing on Songcheng University's news and I can say responsibly that they are a powerful contender for the top four of the National Competition. They might even be able to contend for the title if Shanbei and Capital encounter each other in the semi-finals."


      "Mr. Fang, you speak highly of them!" Fan Leqi sighed and said, "What a pity that Songcheng University is neither a seeded team nor the champion in their division. They could only be ranked in the third level and must encounter the tough teams in the first two levels. If advancing has taken most of their energy, it will be difficult for them to advance in the top-eight match."


      Fan Leqi's words struck a sympathetic chord among Lou Cheng, Yan Zheke, and the other fellows. But they did not feel depressed, since the drawing rule had already come out and they knew how to face up to reality.


      "Don't say that. Little Fan, the converse of this statement may be true. Songcheng University being ranked in the third level is now troubling all the other teams since they are probably to be another team of death!"


      "Sounds reasonable!" Sun Jian burst out laughing.


      "Mr. Fang, we love you!" Cai Zongming said dramatically.


      Crossing his arms over chest, Lin Que was standing in the corner quietly, but his lips curved up slightly.


      Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke exchanged a look and caught the smile on each other's face.


      Since there is no way that we can change the rules, why not just enjoy it!


      We newborn calves are not afraid of tigers. It's the other teams that should be frightened!


      Fan Leqi and Fang Jinjue introduced every team to the audience through their seemingly casual discussion and then began to explain the rule of drawing lots.


      This time, all the teams were classified into three levels. While the top-four teams from last year were in the first level and joined in groups A, B, C, or D separately, the other division champions were in the second level, and the rest of the teams were all in the third level.


      "Let's welcome Mr. Fang to draw the first-level teams." Fan Leqi pointed at the box in front of her. "First, the seeded team in group A."


      Fang Jinjue took a ball from the box, held it in front of the audience, and began to announce the name.


      "Capital College."


      "Group A, Capital College Martial Arts Club."


      "Group B, Guangnan University Martial Arts Club… "


      "Group C, Shanbei University Martial Arts Club… "


      "Group D, Huahai University Martial Arts Club… "


      After drawing the first-level teams, Fang Jinjue made an obeisance and left the stage. Then another guest was invited by Fan Leqi to draw the second-level teams.


      "Group A, Guoyang University Martial Arts Club… "


      "Group B, Jinfeng University Martial Arts Club… "


      "Group C, Jiuqu University Martial Arts Club… "


      "Group D, Hudong University Martial Arts Club… "


      Then it came to the third level, in which there were eight teams. This time the guest would draw two rounds in the order: A, B, C, and D.


      Li Mao and the other fellows who had been watching the ceremony casually immediately changed posture and slowed down their breathing.


      A third guest stepped onto the stage, exchanged some conventional greetings with Fan Leqi, and then put his hand into the box.


      "Group A, Hexi University Martial Arts Club… "


      "Group B, Moshang University Martial Arts Club… "


      "Group C, Huatian University Martial Arts Club… "


      "Group D, group D… " The guest paused and then raised his tone. "Songcheng University Martial Arts Club!"


      "Wow, the Group of Death!" Fan Leqi sighed with emotion.


      "We're in the same group as Huahai and Hudong… " Lou Cheng felt neither surprised nor disappointed. For them, the four groups were almost all the same even if Hudong might be a little more powerful than Jiuqu.


      "Not bad, at least we are not in the same group as Shanbei." Li Mao sighed with relief while the others began echoing him.


      Then the second drawing round began.


      "Group A, Hanbei University Martial Arts Club… "


      "Group B, Tiedu College Martial Arts Club… "


      "Group C, Xinghai College… "


      The result was almost clear at this moment. Fan Leqi could not help murmuring to herself with widely-opened eyes.


      "Super Group of Death… "


      The guest took out the last ball dutifully and showed it in front of the camera.


      "Group D, Mingdao University Martial Arts Club!"


      …


      In Huahai University Martial Arts Club, Xing Jingjing, who was usually calm and cold, turned her gaze to the club manager standing nearby.


      Ann Chaoyang was a handsome man with half-long hair, which made him look more like a scholar. But he was always squinting as if he had not yet woken up.


      "Songcheng University… " He repeated the name in a low voice.


      The bulletproof-monk-like man with a shaved head was Piao Yuan, who grinned and said, "Songcheng, Hudong, Mingdao, tut-tut, I'm raring to go for the match… "


      The fierce-looking man changed the order of the drawing result in his words unconsciously.


      …


      In Hudong University, the atmosphere was heavy, for no one had expected that they would be drawn in a Group of Death.


      Yu Zhi, the leading player, clenched his fist while shaking his fat.


      "Songcheng University… "


      Though looking like a sumo wrestler, his accumulated fat was not flabby, but thick and bouncy.


      …


      In the men's dorm of Mingdao University, He Yifang and He Erlong exchanged a serious look with each other, while He Santai was playing a game on his cellphone with his head down and fingers dancing on the screen.


      …


      "Well, the Super Group of Death… " Sun Jian was exhaling heavily.


      "Why should we be frightened? We are the team that has defeated Shanbei University and they shouldn't be even more powerful." Lou Cheng initiated the conversation after looking around. "Since they are not Shanbei's match, we have the possibility to win the competition. Now that there is the possibility, why do we feel disappointed? Anyway, it's the first time for us to join the National Competition, we are not afraid of being a discredit! Remember what we said before? We should only keep one word in mind… "


      He paused, and then yelled the word out with Lin Que, Yan Zheke, and the other fellows.


      "Fight!"


      We're going to fight as hard as we can!


      After vowing their aim, Lou Cheng took Yan Zheke's hand in his, while Shu Rui was filming the others and did not notice them, telling the girl through eye contact that he was actually looking forward to those tough opponents.


      This April, the National Competition!




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     346 It“s A Small World
      It was a windy night and the stars were twinkling in the sky. Sensing the cold temperature, Lou Cheng put Yan Zheke's left hand into his warm pocket and sighed excitedly.


      "I'm teeming with excitement now. We're going to Capital for the National Competition this April."


      He found it difficult to calm down after watching the lot-drawing ceremony and thus urged his little fairy to take a walk with him along the lakeside.


      "That's still two months away. You should contain your excitement for now." Yan Zheke poked fun at him with a smile.


      "Yeah, I know, but I just can't restrain myself." Lou Cheng took a breath of the moist air and replied with a big smile, "However, excited I am. I'll relax and concentrate on practicing this winter break and try to make greater progress before the National Competition."


      They had lots of professional lessons and away games this semester. Though Lou Cheng did not feel physically tired, he was actually worn out psychologically and was in need of a break so that he could relax and prepare for a new start.


      "Good boy~" Yan Zheke deliberately spoke in an elder's manner and then rolled her eyes upward. "I'll go to the south part of the river on January 3rd and spend a few days with my grandpa. Maybe I'll get an opportunity to find you some data on the Nine Words Formula if it's not a secret to our sect."


      "Ke still remembered it even though I haven't mentioned it…" Lou Cheng could not help smiling, feeling his heart warm up as if he had drunk a bowl of hot soup in the winter.


      "It doesn't matter even if it's actually one of your sect secrets," he joked. "When I become Shushan Study's son-in-law, I'll be one of you and get access to the Unique Skill of the Fighting Sect."


      "Stop daydreaming~!" Yan Zheke rolled her eyes at her boyfriend. No one knew whether she was talking about Lou Cheng being Shushan Study's son-in-law or was just jeering at his idea that. As Shushan Study's son-in-law, he would be able to get access to the other sect secrets besides the Unique Skill of the Fighting Sect.


      "We should be optimistic about our future and, thus, enjoy our lives." Lou Cheng was apparently in a good mood. Taking the girl's hand, he walked slowly along the lakeside to enjoy the beautiful night.


      He paused and again began dreaming. "I'll go to Moshang to pay a New Year's call to my Master and Senior Sister and also light incense in front of the memorial tablets of the Patriarchs. Well, maybe I'll get the chance to learn more about the Unique Skill of the Ice Sect and even gain more if I'm lucky enough."



      For example, the elder Queen of Thought and the other elders may tell me something about the words for the 'Army', 'Forwarding', and 'Swordsman' formulas and the latest research findings on cultivation.


      "Well, you finally learned to pay a New Year's call to the Ice God Sect!" Yan Zheke said jokingly.


      "Of course. Coach Yan has taught me well!" Lou Cheng praised her sincerely.


      After being acknowledged as a disciple of the Ice God Sect, Lou Cheng knew he could no longer just call them to say Happy New Year casually, since Ke was always warning him about this.


      "I'm happy that you realize it~ How are you going to thank me? Well, I guess you're going to say that we needn't say thank you to each other!" Yan Zheke blinked her eyes.


      "How about giving you a kiss or a massage?" Lou Cheng suggested.


      Yan Zheke stared at him, feeling annoyed but amused. "Are you going to thank me or molest me?!"


      "The things that happen between me and my girlfriend can't be called molesting!" Lou Cheng smiled.


      Before the girl got annoyed out of embarrassment, he suddenly recalled something and changed the topic. "Ke, I remember that you mentioned that the last exam, which was originally supposed to be on the 19th, was moved ahead of schedule and we'll actually have it tomorrow."


      "Yeah, what's wrong?" Yan Zheke turned to her boyfriend as her eyes blinked with bewilderment.


      "Have you told that to Empress Dowager?" Lou Cheng asked.


      "No, I haven't." Sensing her boyfriend's intentions, Yan Zheke looked at him and asked, "Why do you mention it?"


      "I'll also finish all my exams tomorrow. What about going for a trip to Gao Fen and coming back home on the 20th? Because I didn't get a chance to accompany you during the Youth Tournament," Lou Cheng suggested in high spirits.


      He had intended to have dates with his little fairy in Gao Fen for a few days after the Youth Tournament, but was called to Moshang by Geezer Shi.


      Yan Zheke turned her gaze upward and replied in a lively tone,


      "Okay~"


      During the New Year's break, they were both busy preparing for their final exams and did not get a chance to date!


      Lou Cheng felt so excited since Ke had promised without hesitation. "Just relax over there. I'm going to alter the tickets and book a hotel. You can ask Gu Shuang something about Gao Fen."


      "Okay." Yan Zheke gave her boyfriend a tissue.


      After cleaning the seat, they sat down and began preparing for the trip. After a while, Yan Zheke said with hesitation, "Cheng, Shuang Shuang said that no one is in her home and invited us to stay there…"


      She was already used to using her close friend's nickname in front of Lou Cheng.


      "We'll feel uncomfortable there…" Lou Cheng began to unconsciously reject the invitation.


      After typing a few words on her cellphone, Yan Zheke turned to look at her boyfriend, giving him a sarcastic smile. "Cheng, you've changed! You are not the Cheng that I knew before~!"


      "How have I changed?" Lou Cheng asked with a muddled face.


      "You wouldn't reply me like that before, you would just say, 'Do you want to go there? If you want to, we'll go to Gu Shuang's home'." Yan Zheke raised her chin with smiling eyes, her long, white down jacket served as a foil to her beautiful figure.


      "…" Lou Cheng did not know how to answer, so he smiled with embarrassment. "I just want to give you some suggestions instead of making the decision. In the end, I'll obey your orders."


      Yan Zheke combed her hair with her fingers while complaining.


      "You're hiding intentions that can't bear the daylight!"


      After saying this with a flushed face, the girl turned her gaze sideways and changed the topic. "How stupid I am to ask Shuang Shuang for something about Gao Fen…"


      "Why? She still doesn't know about our relationship? That's impossible!" Lou Cheng blurted out in astonishment.


      "Not that, actually. Think about it, if I tell her that we're going to visit Gao Fen but stay outside of her place, what will she think of us? She would get the wrong idea! How embarrassing would that be?!" Yan Zheke pouted while making the explanation.


      "A girl's thoughts are really complicated…" Lou Cheng thought for a while and then said, "What about if you go to her house and I stay outside? Or maybe you can tell her that you're on your period?"


      According to Ke's menstrual cycle, her period will come tomorrow…


      Yan Zheke tilted her head to one side and burst out laughing. Lou Cheng felt as if there were hundreds and thousands of flower buds opening in front of him.


      She replied with soft eyes and charming dimples,


      "I've already told that to Shuang Shuang~!"


      "She has already told Gu Shuang about her period?" Lou Cheng opened his mouth wide, feeling it was annoying but amusing.


      Ke almost tricked me again…


      "Well, it was you who asked me to insult her and allow her the opportunity to tease me so much!" Yan Zheke replied with a flushing face.


      Gu Shuang urged me to use contraceptives and asked when I began having sex with Cheng!


      Before Lou Cheng could answer her question, she continued, "Shuang Shuang wants to invite us for dinner at a top-three restaurant in the Xing Province."


      "Okay." Lou Cheng promised casually and handed the cellphone over to the girl. "Two rooms with large beds, the Mingqi International Hotel."


      He had a good impression about this five-star hotel.


      "One room is enough…" Yan Zheke said after thinking for a while, and then her face again flushed upon seeing the excitement and joy in Lou Cheng's eyes. Turning to look sideways, she continued, "You must make an excuse like needing to rub my stomach and thus come to sleep with me, right? Am I right?"


      "Yeah, yeah, yeah, I must do that," Lou Cheng replied with a smile.


      Of course, he really was just thinking that.


      "Now that you are going to sleep in my bed, it will be a waste to book two rooms!" Though saying that confidently, Yan Zheke was biting her lips slightly and avoiding meeting Lou Cheng's eyes.


      …


      After finishing the exam on the 17th, Lou Cheng gathered with Zhao Qiang, Cai Zongming, and Qiu Zhigao for a meal and then went back to the Xing Province with Yan Zheke in the afternoon. Their first destination was not Xiushan, but Gao Fen.


      At seven in the evening, they arrived at Gao Fen and were picked up by Gu Shuang, who was dressed in fashionable black, and then went to that private club near Weiyang Park.


      The club was sumptuously decorated, which showed that it was an extravagant place.


      "Nouveau riche style," Yan Zheke murmured in Lou Cheng's ear.


      "As long as the food here is delicious," Lou Cheng replied to her with a smile.


      Gu Shuang complained, "Can't you stop showing off your romance every second? I'm disappointed with love affairs!"


      The waiters were in front of them, leading the way.


      "It was you who dumped the boy, right? How many times have you done that?" Yan Zheke poked fun at her close friend.


      At this moment, Lou Cheng noticed that lots of guests here were warriors with flourishing Qi and blood, among which some were even able to withdraw their strength at ease, and thus pretend to be normal people.


      They seemed to be familiar with each other as they gathered in threes or fours and went somewhere together after passing the hall.


      "Why are there so many people here?" Gu Shuang found it weird.


      After all, it was a private club.


      The waitress smiled and explained, "Miss Gu, today's the gathering of the Gao Fen martial arts circle, and you know that our boss has a good relationship with them."


      "The Gao Fen martial arts circle gathering?" Gu Shuang unconsciously took a glance at Lou Cheng.


      This young man was not only her close friend's boyfriend, but also the champion of the Youth Tournament!


      "The new year is coming and lots of circles will have a gathering." The waitress was unwilling to say any more about it.


      "The new year? There's still half a month." Gu Shuang shook her head in confusion.


      At that moment, they heard someone making a commotion outside the door. When they looked back, they saw another group of fighters enter the hall, talking with a handsome young man who was surrounded by them.


      Lou Cheng was familiar with the young man, Zhang Zhutong of the Divine Fire Club.


      "What a coincidence…" Lou Cheng could not help smiling to himself.


      Just like when he encountered Zhang Zhutong for the first time, he was standing by while Zhang Zhutong was surrounded by a group of supporters. But their thoughts and attitudes were much different than the last time.


      Keeping a smile on his face, Zhang Zhutong listened to those talking with him carefully but seldom spoke a word. Then all of a sudden, he got a weird feeling and turned his gaze sideways unconsciously, catching Lou Cheng's eyes in surprise. The unforgettable figure was now standing in a corner that the brilliant light could not reach.


      Noticing his gaze, Lou Cheng nodded and gave him a smile.




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     347 The Delegation
      Lou Cheng turned around after giving a nod and pulled Yan Zheke by the hand. They moved on, following the waiter.


      He had nothing to do with the Gao Fen Martial Arts Club or had any friendship with them. Either way, there was no need to go up and exchange polite greetings and delay his dinner.


      Next to Zhang Zhutong was a pretty girl with straight bangs. She leaned forward and followed his line of sight, asking curiously, "Zhutong, what are you looking at?"


      She could only see a couple disappearing in the corner, walking hand-in-hand. Besides the beautiful image of the girl leaving, there was nothing out of ordinary.


      "No, it's nothing." Zhang Zhutong turned his gaze away and subconsciously denied it.


      Everyone dropped the topic and started swarming him, eagerly chatting with him and putting on a show of friendship.


      After taking a few more steps while surrounded by those with him, he couldn't help looking back even while knowing they had clearly left.


      Had that guy come back?


      When Zhang Zhutong thought of the time, he estimated it was still winter vacation. Why wasn't Lou Cheng returning to Xiushan?


      What was he planning to do in Gao Fen? Was he innocently passing by or was he trying to get involved in something?


      ...


      Under the warmth of the soft light, a waiter set the table and filled the cups with tea. He pushed the door to leave, waiting to serve the food.


      "You're joking! Who the hell does year-end dinner this early?" Gu Shuang grumbled. She picked up her phone and started making a call.


      Taking the opportunity to tease her boyfriend, Yan Zheke said, "You have quite the fate with Zhang Zhutong."


      Lou Cheng deliberately sighed. "It's a small world."


      The two of them started discussing this issue before diverging to more nonsensical topics. Gu Shuang ended her call minutes later and raised her eyebrows at them, looking rather gossipy. "I knew it! The Gao Fen Martial Arts Club isn't having some year-end dinner!"


      "Then what kind of gathering is it?" Yan Zheke asked, playing along.



      Gu Shuang snickered.


      "Didn't Gao Fen establish ties with Brutale, the famous European city? This time, the mayor of Brutale came here with a delegation of all sorts of people for a business trip. That delegation includes martial artists; therefore, we're also sending some of our fighters to welcome them. Since the Divine Fire Club has a close relationship with the upper classes, they're entrusted with this responsibility."


      Grinning, Yan Zheke diverted the topic to tease her good friend. "What do you mean by 'our Gao Fen'? Shuang Shuang, you've only just moved here a few years ago, but you've already forgotten you're from Xiushan? So they called a meeting with people in his circle just for this?"


      "Exactly. This is an incredibly great opportunity to show your face. Who knows if it might lead to opportunities for collaborations," Gu Shuang explained before urging her friend, "Ke, why don't you ask your Cheng to join them? He can go earn some prestige in front of the foreigners!"


      It was fun simply just thinking about it!


      "Forget it. I'm not from Gao Fen." Lou Cheng burst out laughing and rejected Gu Shuang's plan to create chaos in the world.


      Yan Zheke chuckled. "I heard Brutale is one of the places where European martial arts originated from. They have numerous Mighty Ones, with many strong fighters among the youth. Aren't you curious about them?"


      "A little, but there's no lack of future opportunities. There's no need to join such a boring gathering," Lou Cheng said, explaining his thoughts.


      The mainstream martial arts systems in Europe was the same in essence, differing only in the details. Both focused on body refinement plus the will to harness the Spirit. Having developed in another direction, the European martial artist system didn't have concepts like Force Concentration or body refinement through Dan. When it came to physical invulnerability, European fighters also trained their inner radicular pulp and contacted with the Heavens and the Earth, thereby reaching the same conclusion as their Eastern counterparts.


      Yan Zheke cocked her head in confusion. "What do you mean by future opportunities?"


      Lou Cheng grinned. "I'll definitely be visiting you from time to time when you start studying abroad. I may even have a short stay there. Of course, I'll have many opportunities to experience foreign martial arts."


      "You're already thinking that far ahead?" Yan Zheke asked, eyes gleaming.


      "Stop, stop, stop! Can you two stop showing PDA no matter what the topic is?" The forever-single Gu Shuang raised her hand, whining. "Can't we just talk properly?"


      "Nope!"


      "Nope!"


      Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke exchanged looks and replied in unison with a smile.


      ...


      In the hall, Zhang Zhutong recalled what he saw earlier and pondered over the reason for Lou Cheng's unexpected appearance in Gao Fen. He was in such deep thought that he didn't snap out of it until someone waved in front of his face.


      "What's wrong, Zhu Tong? Are you worried about tomorrow?" the pretty girl with straight bangs asked with concern.


      The other fighters in the gathering also turned their attention to him when they heard this question.


      "I'm not really worrying. I feel expectant, I suppose," he answered with a smile.


      Unlike regular Challenge Tournaments, friendly matches in diplomacy visits were always concerned with preserving each other's face. The authorities believed it wasn't a good idea to win or lose too much. They would also pick fighters who could represent them and guarantee to only narrowly beat their opponents at the same time.


      "That's right. I've seen foreign martial arts matches online but never experienced one myself," a fighter next to Zhang Zhutong said.


      As other people echoed his view, the pretty girl reminded him with concern, "The seniors will be fighting with the inhuman Mighty Ones, so we don't have to worry about it. But I heard there's a genius youth called Oblak. He's barely 20 but is already as strong as our top Seventh Pin or weak Sixth Pin fighter."


      Since the ranking system within their country differed from foreign countries, they couldn't use each other's ranks for comparison purposes.


      Ever since losing to Lou Cheng, Zhang Zhutong had endured hardships for at least half a year and finally made further progress, becoming a rather good fighter among the Seventh Pins. The excellent performance in the match between Lou Cheng and Peng Leyun, however, came as a blow to him. It took him nearly three weeks to recover.


      When he finally recovered his confidence and called for a meeting with martial artists to prepare to meet the delegation, he came across Lou Cheng. He couldn't help feeling like his confidence was faltering.


      "I'll try my best. It's not like there's completely no chance to win... Even if we lose, we won't lose too badly," he said cautiously.


      As the martial fighters began going over every detail of their meeting tomorrow, Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke were in the other room, tasting the top three dishes that Gu Shuang had recommended. She truly deserved her fame. They had such good appetites that they wanted to gobble everything. The kung pao chicken, for example, was so tender. It was creamy and aromatic, tasting just moderately sour and sweet.


      After having their fill, Gu Shuang sent them back to the hotel and helped them check in to their rooms.


      The sky had darkened overhead. Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke went in the door hand-in-hand and turned on the lights.


      This was the first time they hadn't booked two rooms as a cover-up and would sleep in the same bed. In the warm, soft light, they felt like they were a married couple returning home.


      "Hotel room lights are getting dimmer and dimmer. Even if they want to save electricity, that's not the way to do it!" Lou Cheng grumbled.


      Yan Zheke's face changed halfway through her response. She looked down briefly, her face twisting with pain.


      "Is your period here?" Lou Cheng asked anxiously.


      "Yeah." Yan Zheke was already used to telling her boyfriend about this. "I'll go get a change of clothes and wash up."


      "Okay. I'll get the kettle cleaned and make you some warming ginger and red sugar tea." He immediately busied himself with the preparations.


      It was only after his girlfriend finished the tea, crawled into bed, and laid on her side that he washed up and changed into his pajamas. He laid down next to her, putting his arm around her. He placed his palm on her underbelly underneath her thin clothes.


      "Pretty conscientious, aren't you." Yan Zheke praised her boyfriend with a smile as she wasn't in too much pain.


      She suddenly asked curiously, "Cheng, why are your hands so warm?"


      "Hehe. It's a breakthrough progress of my Power of Blaze," Lou Cheng said proudly. "I've been practicing it since its second awakening, learning to control it so I can use it in everyday life. I finally succeeded recently after several months of hard work. Does it feel nice?"


      There was no meaning at all to a supernatural ability without a household use!


      "I'll give you a kiss!" Yan Zheke's lips puckered lightly, wearing just a hint of a smile. Her voice had become gentle and sweet. "Cheng, where are we going tomorrow?"


      Lou Cheng was feeling much more cheerful after receiving his girlfriend's compliment. Smiling, he said, "I have two plans in mind. First, we can visit the safari park located north of the city. Second, we can just ride on several bus routes and relax. We can travel around the city, stop by every must-see block and street, and savor their specialties along the way. Think of it as slowly taking in the city."


      "I choose the second one!" she replied without hesitation. "It sounds like it's going to be a lot of fun."


      "I knew it," he said, feeling a sense of tacit agreement.


      She gradually fell asleep as they chatted, basking in the warmth of her boyfriend's hands. Occasionally, she would frown as if she was enduring pain in her dreams. He couldn't help easing out her knitted eyebrows.


      As the night turned darker, he climbed up and kissed her on the corner of her lips.


      In a low voice, he said, "Good night, Honey."


      He held her in his arms and it had nothing to do with desire.


      ...


      Lou Cheng woke up on time the next morning. He looked out at the gloomy sky as he cuddled the girl in his arms, breathing in the air tinted with the fragrant incense. He basked in the joy that came with the serenity.


      When he gave her a tight hug, he saw her stir and look up at him bleary-eyed.


      "What time is it?"


      "Half past five. Continue your sleep. I'll go for my morning exercises and then bring you breakfast," Lou Cheng replied softly.


      Yan Zheke curled back up a little unwillingly before feeling something stiff under her.


      Her body went rigid. Lou Cheng smiled awkwardly and said, "Some reactions can't be restrained... As long as one is healthy man, they will wake up like this. Not to mention, I have a fairy sleeping beside me."


      He repeated what he had said the other day.


      "I think you men are really odd," Yan Zheke murmured, slumping over as she tried to get up. "I'm going to do morning exercises too. It's no longer hurting as much."


      As the two kissed good morning in each other's arms, the delegation from Brutale arrived at the Gao Fen airport.




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     348 Follow Your Hear
      After their morning exercise, Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke returned to the hotel, planning to have breakfast during their leisurely bus tour in Gao Fen.


      Lou Cheng waited a short while after his shower until Ke stepped out of the bathroom.


      She had just changed her hairstyle, a side fringe hanging down, making her eyes and brows more beautiful, temperament purer and more cultured. Her beauty shone more than ever.


      White long down jacket, black leggings, fluffy snow boots, light pink knitted hat, delicate silver earrings... In front of Lou Cheng's eyes was a breeze of youth and agility. He was used to her look, but couldn't resist starting at her.


      "Is it nice?" asked Yan Zheke with a shy smile and some pride.


      "You put on some makeup?" asked Lou Cheng, gazing at her delicate, pink lips.


      For a straight man, lips were the easiest part of a girl to look at to determine if she had makeup on. A heavy color lipstick indicates heavy makeup and a light color lipstick signals light makeup. If he couldn't tell from the lips, she probably had no makeup on.


      Of course, under Coach Yan's instructions and tutoring, his knowledge grew day by day so that he would no longer be so shallow.


      "A little bit. We are going on a date, so of course I'll take it seriously." Yan Zheke raised her chin a little bit, her eyes shining.


      Lou Cheng chuckled, tempted to grab her and eat her alive.


      Yan Zheke saw dangers from his eyes and took one step back. She waved her hand with little strength. "Doing makeup is loads of work."


      Don't you mess with me!


      "Hmm... " Lou Cheng gathered his thoughts and changed the subject. "I feel your face is too slim."


      "Hmm! Easy!" She puffed out her fat cheeks


      Look! My face is fat!


      "Bear it... Can't do it... Then go ahead... " Lou Cheng stepped forward all of a sudden and pulled the girl over to plant a kiss on her.


      "You... " Yan Zheke's complaint was silenced at once as her mouth got sealed by the kiss.


      She gave Lou Cheng several gentle punches and gradually closed her eyes as the kiss carried on, hugging her boyfriend and leaving her makeup behind.



      While feeling each other's lips, they gently licked and sucked. Their even breaths slowly turned into panting.


      "Are we going out or not?" As the atmosphere became hotter and more intense, Yan Zheke tilted her head backwards and glanced at Lou Cheng with her watery eyes, breaking free from his hug.


      "It would be nice just hanging in the room all day," said Lou Cheng, locking his eyes on her lips.


      "Pervert!" cursed Yan Zheke, annoyed but more amused. She quickly made her way to the bathroom to fix her makeup and then stood at the door, waving her hand. "Let's go."


      "Sure!" Lou Cheng stepped over and left the room, holding her hand as they made their way towards the closest bus stop in a leisurely manner. Not long after, bus no. 7 pulled in.


      On a random weekend, with less people commuting for work but several old people traveling, the bus wasn't crowded at all. Lou Cheng inserted coins before leading his little fairy to a back row. The bus carrying them slowly drove through the city of Gao Fen.


      The scenery changed from modern skyscrapers to old sky buildings. Many houses dating back to the last century were unfolded in front of Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke.


      "These used to be factories of different companies. Then, when factories were relocated further away from the city, this land became their employees' accommodation... " said Lou Cheng, pointing at the window. He had done his homework long ago. "There should be a university and a senior high school nearby. They will be bustling with noise and excitement to a level. Let's go eat a private home cuisine."


      "Private home cuisine?" Yan Zheke asked in a surprised tone.


      A private home cuisine for breakfast?


      She was not that type of girl who would simply enjoy dating without putting in her own effort. After the first few times, she began to help make plans and speak out her own opinion, getting closely involved. However, her lower stomach hurt too bad last night, so she had no energy to discuss this with Lou Cheng.


      "My private home cuisine has a pair of quotation marks. You will see," answered Lou Cheng with a grin. The bus stopped and he helped Ke up. "It's for us."


      Filled with curiosity and expectation, Yan Zheke followed Lou Cheng like an ignorant deer, hopped off the bus, crossed the street, and entered a fairly old estate.


      Inside the estate, Lou Cheng led ahead, turning left and right while asking random passer-bys the directions to Building Four.


      Finally, after passing rows of buildings, they reached their well-hidden destination.


      With no elevator, they climbed some stairs to the second floor, where they saw that the flat to their left was open and a very tasty smell was flowing out.


      "A noodle shop?" Yan Zheke's nose moved, breathing in the good smell.


      "Yes, the old lady here used to be the chef of the Gaoyun Noodle Shop. After her retirement, she moved here with her husband and bought the flat next door under their children's encouragement to open an unnamed noodle shop. There are actually quite a few places like this, mainly serving students and teachers who don't like to eat in their schools' cafeteria. Other people can't find it without a local guide." Lou Cheng introduced this private home cuisine.


      Gaoyun Noodle Shop had a long history in Gao Fen. It was recommended by many tourism-related programs. However, it became worse and worse and eventually lost most of its local customers. Only tourists would still visit.


      Yan Zheke opened her eyes wide and blurted out, "How did you find this place? Shuang Shuang didn't mention it yesterday."


      "I saw it when I was searching for information online and I remembered Fatty Jiang told me Huang Kun studies in the nearby University of Technology. Then I dug out his QQ and asked for details." Lou Cheng sounded very pleased with himself. "The old lady has an odd temper. She never tries to please her customers and instead gives them dirty looks if they refuse to follow her order of eating, which is local special cold dishes, noodles, and noodle soup."


      "The odder her temper, the better her business?" Yan Zheke bit her lower lip and asked.


      "Yeah. We all love to be scolded. Maybe we all believe odd people are more capable... " Lou Cheng poked fun at himself. He walked in with Yan Zheke and saw several tables placed in two bedrooms and the living room. The old couple was watching TV, paying no attention to them entering.


      Their hair was grey but their spirits were high.


      Breakfast time had already passed. Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke didn't need to wait at all and ordered two different kinds of noodles and ten dumplings to share.


      The old lady didn't say a word. She walked into the kitchen and soon came out with several bowls of food. She reminded them strictly,


      "Beef noodles first. Then boiled veggies. Then dumplings. Then have the noodles with three delicacies. Last, drink its soup."


      "She does have an order... " Yan Zheke muttered quietly after the old lady resumed her seat.


      The curious pair began to eat after being given the order. It was amazing, especially the boiled veggies after the very flavorful beef noodles, refreshing and sweet.


      Highly satisfied, Lou Cheng looked for the stop for bus no. 19 when they were ready to leave.


      Yan Zheke rolled her eyes up while thinking and suggested excitedly,


      "Cheng, what if we don't follow the itinerary? I don't want to wear you out."


      "What do we do if we don't follow the strategy?" asked Lou Cheng, confused.


      A smile blossomed on Yan Zheke's face. "Let's take whatever is given to us. We get on whichever bus and get off wherever looks nice. Don't plan ahead and don't care too much about the result. Follow your heart and see where it will lead us."


      "A trip of destiny?" Lou Cheng was very tempted. He didn't fight against it and he wouldn't.


      "That sounds fun!"


      They walked out of the estate and waited at a random bus stop for a random bus.


      After getting on the bus, they took the back row again, held hands, watched the scenery outside of the window, and chatted casually. They hopped off whenever they felt like it, wandered about in the area, and got on another random bus from another random stop.


      They didn't think about where they would end up at nor what to do or what to eat next. They let their minds go free and legs move at a leisurely pace, taking selfies from time to time.


      A commercial area, a park, a riverside bridge, a Buddhist pagoda, and a Taoist temple… After visiting many places, they decided to have lunch at the next restaurant they would chance upon.


      When the alley led them to a big street, Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke spotted a café almost at the same time.


      "A cafe. Shall we?" asked Lou Cheng with a smile.


      "Why not? Most cafes serve food," answered Yan Zheke, completely relaxed.


      Not busy at all, the café had an okay atmosphere but very few customers. Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke ordered a bunch of food, which, to their surprise, was actually really good.


      "Your food is great. How come the business is not so good?" Yan Zheke asked the owner casually as Lou Cheng paid the bill.


      The very elegant lady put on a wry smile and answered, "I don't know. I guess the residents here don't fancy western stuff. Are you staying in the neighborhood?"


      "Not really," said Yan Zheke in a lively tone.


      "Are you around for business?" With very few customers to attend, the owner had plenty time to chat.


      "No, we are just passing by," said Yan Zheke with a sweet smile.


      "Done." The owner confirmed Lou Cheng's mobile payment before throwing another question, "Just passing by… Where are you heading to?"


      "Where?" After a moment of silence, Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke exchanged a glance and answered in unison,


      "We don't really know."


      They grabbed each other's hands and turned to leave.


      "Don't know where to go… " The owner was completely lost. He watched them from behind until their figures disappeared on the street.


      Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke followed their hearts to get on and off different buses without thinking about the past or the future. They enjoyed the present to the fullest, carefreely and leisurely.


      Surrounded by people in this big world, they knew it would be beautiful wherever they were as long as they had each other.


      Clouds moved slowly in the sky as buses drove ahead at a low speeds. Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke continued their destiny trip in Gao Fen, quiet and excited.


      When the lights were turned on in the city, they got on another bus with an unknown destination, holding back their smiles.


      They had just had an impressively awful dinner in a random restaurant.


      However, sharing a terrible meal together was just another fun thing for them.


      "Where are we now?" asked Lou Cheng, gazing into the dark.


      "How would I know?" answered Yan Zheke.


      Suddenly, her eyes began to shine as a familiar building appeared in the distance.


      "The beetle stadium!"


      Gao Fen Martial Arts Arena!


      "Sigh… It must be fate. After a whole day of random buses, we are back here," said Lou Cheng emotionally. "The light is on. There are probably matches going on… "


      "This is the place I won my very first championship!"


      "Hmm… " Yan Zheke nodded and pulled Lou Cheng's hand towards the back door.


      "Let's go. I'll treat you to a match." Her voice rose cheerfully.


      …


      Gao Fen Martial Arts Arena was lit up brightly, but the atmosphere was heavy.


      Staring at the insufferably arrogant Albrak and his wavy blond hair in the arena, Zhang Zhutong looked very serious as he climbed the flight of stairs up.




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     349 Fireworks
      "How annoying! It's not open to the public!" After her failed attempt to purchase tickets, Yan Zheke pouted.


      Glancing at the security guards at the gate, Lou Cheng urged, "How about we do something bad? Let's climb in!"


      "What kind of match is not open to the public?"


      "Nope. I'm a good kid who follows the rules!" Yan Zheke had just spent the day following her heart. As the match was not for the public, she instantly dropped her interest. Her eyes rolled up and she continued, "A dessert shop nearby is pretty good. I tried it with Shuang last time. Their snow slush is super. Come on, I'll take you there."


      Without thinking, Lou Cheng blurted out, "No cold food during your period."


      "I'll watch you eat." Yan Zheke smiled, raising her chin. "They also serve cakes."


      "Sure. Lead the way." Lou Cheng forgot about his original goal and his eyes filled with love and joy.


      "Let's follow our hearts, our feelings, and our destinies today!"


      …


      "Oblak wins!"


      "Oblak wins!"


      "Oblak wins!"


      The same words again and again echoed in the arena, lowering the selected audience's spirit. They bucked up and cheered for the rival for the friendship between the two cities.


      Zhang Zhutong's body was still noticeably shaking, his face pale, exhausted, and wounded.


      After breaking free from the nightmare, he glanced at the VIP stand. The deputy governor of the province, Luo Zhong, and the mayor of Gao Fen, Cao Jincheng, looked gloomy and disheartened.


      Feeling his heart sinking, Zhang Zhutong hoped other martial artists could defeat this tough opponent and save their face.


      "Even though we can't score a win, we can't afford a bitter rout."


      However, he knew his hope might not come true.


      "Oblak didn't follow the rules. He has fought three rounds in a row where he defeated Han Zhifei and Qiu Shan and injured me in one bout. He should have been replaced after the first round!"



      The most capable fighters on his side had been routed. The Gao Fen Martial Arts Group had to play strategically against the rest of those Brutale combatants. Zhang Zhutong gave up fighting the first round and lined himself against the third fighter of the Brutale Delegation to secure one round. However, the rival didn't play by their rules.


      "In the worst case, all the young martial artists of my generation will be defeated... " thought Zhang Zhutong bitterly.


      "Oblak's physical strength is bottomless, way beyond our level."


      "Before reaching the Inhuman stage, bottomless physical strength has great advantages!" A fighter next to him commented with some emotion.


      Zhang Zhutong wanted to give a smile as his response, but he just couldn't force one out.


      …


      "Tasty?" Yan Zheke rested her head on one hand while watching Lou Cheng with her glittering eyes.


      Lou Cheng slowly took one spoonful of the snow and put it into his mouth, tasting it for a dozen seconds before answering, "Very! It reminds me of the milk powder from my childhood. Icy and cold, it tastes much better!"


      "Of course. I've tested it myself!" Yan Zheke put on a proud smile and took a bite of the cake with her spoon leisurely.


      The dinner was too terrible to satisfy their stomachs, leaving the pair with a great appetite for dessert.


      The darkness floated and drifted outside the window. Lights illuminated the city, projecting their shadows on the glass.


      …


      The night crept deeper in.


      At the entrance of the beetle stadium, security guards cleared out a path where the deputy governor of the province, Luo Zhong, and the mayor of Gao Fen, Cao Jingcheng, walked out with the mayor of Brutale, Dawkins, and his entourage. While waiting for their vehicle to arrive, the two parties chatted politely out of courtesy.


      At the fringe of the delegation stood the tall and sturdy Oblak, shaking his legs and arms while looking about.


      His blond hair bore a layer of shine under the light as if the light of the rising sun was pouring on the ocean. He was widely known as the Son of the Rising Sun for his handsome facial features and very aggressive martial arts style.


      "The young combatants of Gao Fen are nothing special," the black-haired Charles next to Oblak sneered in Brutal language.


      Oblak scoffed,


      "I heard it is only one of the second class cities of China."


      He implied his consent to Charles' comment.


      "I'm rather disappointed." The brown-haired Johnny opened his hands.


      "To be honest, I feel the same. I fought three rounds, but it was just not enough. In their language… " Oblak bent his arms and continued in Chinese with an odd accent, "Not fully satisfied."


      The interpreter felt a bit embarrassed but didn't say anything, keeping the professional smile on his face.


      Watching their conversation from afar, Zhang Zhutong couldn't understand a word but felt their defiance and disdain. He felt more gloomy and depressed.


      He took a quick glance at the deputy governor of the province, Luo Zhong, and the mayor of Gao Fen, Cao Jingcheng, who were both smiling bitterly.


      ...


      "It's getting late. We should go back or we'll miss the last bus." Lou Cheng pointed at the dark night outside.


      Yan Zheke's eyes followed his hand, her head nodding. "Yes."


      Today's journey of destiny began with a bus ride, so of course, they both wanted to end it by bus.


      They paid the bill with his mobile phone and walked into the biting cold winter night. They felt refreshed at once.


      Strolling by the arena, they slowly made their way to the bus stop right in front of them, glancing at the bustling entrance of the stadium from time to time.


      In an extremely good mood, Yan Zheke hopped ahead, her hands swinging high. Lou Cheng followed her pace and stayed right next to her.


      "Such a nice day!" She suddenly stopped, looking up at the few stars shining against the city lights. She then closed her eyes and muttered as if in a dream.


      The joy hidden in the curve of her lips was faint but lasting.


      "I couldn't agree more!" Lou Cheng grabbed her hand.


      Yan Zheke opened her eyes and said,


      "It would be perfect if there was a fireworks show in the end. Don't go buy any. I mean a fireworks encounter by chance."


      Lou Cheng thought about it and smiled gently, suddenly pointing behind the girl.


      "Look! Over there!"


      Surprised and amazed, Yan Zheke turned around at once, but there were no fireworks, only the dark sky and silent lights.


      Bam!


      The cold light exploded, breaking into thousands of ice crystals which then fell from the sky.


      Bam!


      The flame exploded, pouring light on the ice crystals, their reflection clear and pure.


      The glorious, dreamy fireworks lip up the dark sky as well as Lou Chang and Yan Zheke's faces.


      "See? The ending fireworks of today," laughed Lou Cheng.


      Yan Zheke's shock was completely replaced by amazement. With the reflection of the fireworks shining in her eyes, her face was too beautiful to be gazed at.


      Her teeth gently bit her lips, the shine flowing in her eyes.


      "Cheng, what should I do? I want to kiss you."


      …


      The fireworks drew the attention of those standing at the entrance of the arena.


      Oblak was stunned, but the shock was soon replaced by joy.


      "Superpower. A decent superpower."


      He gazed at the corner of the square where Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke stood closely together. His eyes began to glow with joy.


      "I will have a go to that superpower bearer."


      "I'm not completely satisfied with the previous fights anyway."


      He strode towards Lou Cheng rapidly.


      The interpreter was terrified, unsure if he should follow him over.


      Oblak's master and the head of the delegation, Mason Walker, chuckled while shaking his head. He instructed Jonas,


      "You go as the referee. Don't let Oblak injure the rival."


      "It will affect the friendship between our two cities."


      Looking like a bear, Jonas took it seriously and hurried to catch up with Oblak, followed by Charles and Johnny out of curiosity.


      "That poor guy was just trying to please his girlfriend on their date. But Oblak saw him… How unfortunate!"


      Zhang Zhutong followed them blankly towards the fireworks. His eyes suddenly widened.


      "Him?"


      Waiting for a kiss from his little fairy, Lou Cheng suddenly sensed the shaking of the ground and took one step forward subconsciously to protect Yan Zheke.


      He saw a blond, blue-eyed young man running towards him, his steps heavy but not weighty, and small explosions taking place in his wrists, arms, and body.


      All these explosive points connected with each other to form an odd tree.


      Strong… Very strong… Lou Cheng's eyes narrowed. He got in a stance and began to visualize a frozen river, a vast expanse of whiteness, and the blood red sun in the sky.


      "Fight… Friendly!" shouted Oblak with his foreign accent.


      "A friendly fight?" Lou Cheng drew in a deep breath, visualizing the red sun falling down from heaven and smash into the icy surface.


      In front of a worthy rival, of course he would do his best.


      Abruptly, Oblak's body doubled in size and he threw a downward punch at Lou Cheng.


      Bang!


      The sun and the frozen river vanished at the same time, fire and ice canceling each other at Lou Cheng's fist.


      A variety of the Severe Warning!


      Pop!


      Lou Cheng blocked Oblak's punch with his fist. Something collapsed and formed an eddy at the point where their hands touched, sucking Oblak's hand tightly along with his horrible power.


      Boom!


      The eddy broke out, firing furiously, injecting it into Oblak's body!


      Oblak was forced to take three steps back before falling down to the ground in front of Jonas, the referee, as if he had no bones in his body, his eyes wide and body temporarily limp.


      Pong!


      The sound from his fall on the ground echoed in the air, leaving Charles stunned and Mason Walker in disbelief and drawing the eyes of Dawkins and Cao Jincheng.


      Just one punch, the invincible Oblak is down on the ground, unable to get up?


      He was having a friendly fight with a passer-by superpower bearer.


      "What happened?" Yan Zheke's pretty face popped out, asking blankly.


      "I don't really know. He asked for a friendly fight." Lou Cheng was just as lost.


      Noticing no response from the foreigner's mates, he was done with it and continued to walk towards the bus stop holding Yan Zheke's hand.


      "A friendly fight? Why with you?" Yan Zheke asked, deeply puzzled.


      Why would a man who couldn't even take one punch seek a friendly fight?


      Lou Cheng answered seriously, "He's actually not bad, but his physical strength is running out."


      "With little physical strength left, he asked for a friendly fight with you? I don't get it."


      "Neither do I. I can't understand what is going on with this foreigner."


      "Hmm... This is probably a gap caused by cultural differences and education divergence... "


      …


      The pair went on their way, disappearing in the distance.


      Watching the couple walking towards the bus stop, the interpreter felt extremely awkward, unsure if he should translate their comments for the Brutale delegation.


      "What did they say?" Dawkins, the mayor of Brutale, asked as his eyes locked on Oblak, who was getting up with assistance from others.


      After a moment of hesitation, the interpreter answered, "They said Mr. Oblak is actually very strong but he is too tired to fight."


      "Too tired to fight?" Dawkins and Mason Walker fell silent, looking up at the bus stop where a bus happened to pull in. A group of spectators from earlier got on the bus. Lou Cheng, with one hand in his pocket and the other holding Yan Zheke, also hopped on, holding on to the handle with one hand and protecting the girl with the other.


      The bus took off into the dark, leaving the group in silence.




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     350 Earn the Credi
      In the biting cold wind, Dawkins felt a chill, struggling to get out of the unspeakable feeling. He subconsciously turned to look at Cao Jincheng, the mayor of Gao Fen.


      Seeing nothing unpleasant, Cao Jincheng's frown smoothed out into a faint smile.


      "These days, the capable youths all have very strong personalities, with no interest in getting involved in these kinds of social occasions."


      After a moment of hesitation, the elegant, pretty female interpreter expressed Mayor Cao's opinion to Dawkins and Mason Walker, emphasizing two main points.


      First, the earlier martial arts competition was just a social occasion in which a win or a loss meant nothing to them.


      Second, the real capable young fighters on their side were of strong character and didn't participate in these friendly, social events.


      Cao Jincheng would sound like he was bragging and reluctant to admit the defeat if he threw this line out earlier. But now he had nailed it perfectly.


      Her interpretation changed Mason Walker's facial expression and stiffened Dawkins' smile. The entire delegation's arrogance and high spirits were brought down.


      Fortunately, several luxury buses arrived just in time to end the topic with a friendly farewell.


      Oblak, who was being supported by the arm, was finally awake, muttering,


      "That punch was magical… Very, very magical."


      Members of the Brutale Delegation looked at each other with surprise. They pushed Oblak into the vehicle.


      When their fleet disappeared into the distance, Cao Jincheng revealed his confusion, tilting his head and looking at Wang Mingkang, the head of the Divine Fire Club.


      "Who was that?"


      Wang Mingkang was a few steps behind and had missed the engagement. Puzzled, he turned to Zhang Zhutong for help.


      Zhang Zhutong heaved a silent sigh.


      "Lou Cheng."


      "Lou Cheng?" Han Zhifei suddenly realized why the figure seemed so familiar from behind…


      "Lou Cheng… The champion of the provincial youth tournament!" Luo Zhong, the deputy mayor in charge of martial arts-related matters, remembered this name.



      "No wonder." Cao Jincheng felt relieved and gratified, commenting with some emotion, "That young man did it so considerately."


      Originally from Xiushan, Lou Cheng's household register had been transferred to Songcheng and he didn't have any career ties to Gao Fen. He had nothing to do with this city at all. If he fought in the competition, the Brutale Delegation might find out and they would lose face terribly for cheating, which would affect the business and commercial trade between the two cities.


      When he passed by casually and lured Oblak to start a fight like this, it became a completely different story!


      "This young man has a great sense of honor for this province... " thought Mayor Cao.


      He didn't even think about the fact that Lou Cheng might just be passing by accidentally.


      "He-heh… How is that possible?"


      "Inform all relevant personnel that no one recognized who the young fighter was in case the Brutale Delegation questions about it," Cao Jincheng ordered his secretary.


      Listening to their conversation, Zhang Zhutong looked at Han Zhifei with mixed feelings in his eyes, finding a similar tinge of emotion in theirs.


      At this moment, the words Lou Cheng had said to him during the semi-finals suddenly came to his head.


      "I don't need anyone to tell me if I'm qualified or not. In one, two, or three years, I hope you still have the balls and confidence to say something like that."


      The words were still echoing in his ears. It had only been half a year!


      …


      Getting off across the street from Mingqi International Hotel, Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke crossed the road leisurely and entered the hotel lobby holding hands, putting an end to this date of fate and dreamy day trip.


      While Lou Cheng was taking a shower, Yan Zheke changed into cute pajamas with bunny ears hanging down from her chest.


      Barefoot, she half sat on the bed and picked up her vibrating phone.


      "Hello, Shuang. What's up so late?"


      "Ke, your Cheng is terrible!" said Gu Shuang bluntly.


      "What did he do?" Yan Zheke asked, puzzled.


      Gu Shuang ground her teeth. "He promised he wouldn't get involved in the match with the Brutale Delegation last night. But today he went to the beetle stadium and kicked their promising star fighter's ass!"


      "Hmm! He went back on his word!"


      "Ahh? That was the Brutale Delegation? No wonder there were some capable foreigners... " Yan Zheke suddenly came to a realization and hurried to clear the misunderstanding. "He didn't mean it. We had a 'following the heart' trip today. We got on random buses and hopped off at random stops. Somehow we ended up at the beetle stadium and that foreign combatant issued a challenge to Cheng."


      "Hah... Pretty romantic." Gu Shuang poked fun at her before introducing the foreign fighter. "What a chance! The combatant knocked down by your Cheng was Oblak, who had just defeated Zhang Zhutong, Han Zhifei, and Qiu Shan back to back in the beetle stadium, humiliating those uncles, aunts, grandpas, and grannies."


      "I see... Cheng was saying the foreign combatant was very close to exhaustion." Yan Zheke affirmed some details.


      "But he is best known for his abnormally great physical strength, which is not far from the Inhuman stage, similar to your Cheng." Gu Shuang continued to reveal more information with some chuckles. "Bring your Cheng to the party for me! I must show those jerks I have such a great genius friend."


      "Go and find your own!" Yan Zheke pretended to be annoyed and teased her.


      Gu Shuang chuckled. "Speaking of which, today I set a new personal goal. I'm going to lure some."


      "What can I do with you? Why can't you have a proper relationship? What's the point frequently changing boyfriends?" Yan Zheke couldn't resist teasing her. "It could go terribly wrong if you chanced upon an extremist."


      "I never date multiple guys at the same time. I just break up when I no longer feel like being together," argued Gu Shuang.


      "Fine. Enough about you." Yan Zheke rationally ended the topic. "We can talk more on QQ."


      "OK." Gu Shuang hung up.


      Holding her mobile, Yan Zheke subconsciously called out,


      "Cheng, I have something to tell you."


      Then she realized Cheng was still in the shower.


      "Err... The water is too loud for him to hear anything... " Yan Zheke heard the water sound suddenly stop.


      The bathroom door was pulled open and Lou Cheng popped his upper body out.


      "What is it?"


      Looking at his bare chest, dripping water, and wet hair, Yan Zheke instantly closed her eyes and spoke like a spoiled child,


      "Can you ask after putting some clothes on?"


      She opened her left eye a little bit to secretly glance at him and chuckled. "Not bad, your figure..."


      "You are more than welcome to touch it," replied Lou Cheng with no shame.


      "Hmph!" Yan Zheke turned her head away. "Shuang said the foreigner you just knocked out is Oblak, a talented young martial artist from the Brutale Delegation."


      Her head turned back and her eyes were wide open, glancing up and down.


      "The Brutale Delegation... No wonder... " Lou Cheng was in a trance, shaking his head slightly. "Sadly, we didn't have a proper fight. It feels like swallowing a date without chewing."


      Brutale was a branch of the Mission Sect, one of the leading martial arts streams in the western world. It boasted the will, manipulated the spirit, and controlled the body with faith. However, they didn't have the process of Force Concentration or the form of the big Dan. They believed in ten primitive materials in the human body, each bearing a specific emblem. Once these were refined and mastered, a tree of life would grow to reach the final crown.


      These ten primitive materials were located separately. Every time three of them got aroused and revealed, a specific ability would be unlocked as if a superpower had been awakened. And these superpowers would assist and support each other to create strong points, like physical strength and power.


      Compared to the Dan stage martial arts, such combat sects were much weaker in terms of the Absolute Reaction without the smooth and thorough unification of the body strength. However, they had the great explosive force and specialty enhancement.


      Lou Cheng learned about this from the Longhu Club forum. Other than that, he knew nothing about them.


      "Didn't you say there would be plenty opportunities in the future?" said Yan Zheke with a grin.


      "True." Lou Cheng went back to the washroom and dried his body and hair before coming out in his nightclothes.


      Standing close to the bed, he locked his eyes on Yan Zheke, who was lying there like a doll, and grinned.


      "Somebody wanted to kiss me just now?"


      "That damn guy interrupted my sweet kiss!"


      "Not me! Not me!" Yan Zheke shook her head like a rattle-drum with happiness in her eyes.


      "Well, if you don't want to admit it, I'll come and kiss you!" Lou Cheng got in bed.


      "If you don't smile at your man, your man will smile at you... "


      …


      In the hotel where the Brutale Delegation was staying...


      Oblak was sitting on a sofa in the lobby with a blank expression, lost in a trance.


      "Hey, Oblak, don't be like this! You challenged the man after three intense fights. Come! Have a few drinks and you'll feel better." The black-haired Charles approached with two glasses of wine.


      Johney agreed, "According to my lovely, beautiful, and bright Sandee, a sudden encounter doesn't mean anything. Have a good night's sleep and get ready for a brand new day!"


      Abruptly, Oblak stood up and rushed to the elevator to visit his master, Mason Walker, on the 25th floor.


      "What's the matter?" Mason Walker gazed at his student with his deep blue eyes.


      "Master, I want to fight with that superpower bearer one more time!" Oblak blurted out.


      After thinking for a dozen seconds, Mason Walker answered, "We've already asked those gentlemen of Gao Fen but none of them recognized the young man, or maybe they just don't want to tell us. We can't stay long."


      "But... " Oblak attempted to try harder.


      Mason Walker smiled. "A capable superpower bearer like him will grow more and more famous. As long as you keep on pushing yourself, you will meet him one day!"


      Foreign countries highly valued Chinese martial arts circles, but their attention was mainly focused on the top class professional tournaments and title matches.


      "I hope so... " Oblak heaved a sigh.




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     351 A Surprising “Pie“
      In the afternoon on the 20th, Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke went to Gao Fen East Station. They got on the bullet train back to Xiushan.


      After having a leisurely date, they visited the animal park and closely observed postures such as "Huxing" (tiger form tactic) and "Houxing" (monkey form tactic). Furthermore, they also watched some panda cubs basking in the sun. They took some pictures of the memorable moments they had during this trip. That afternoon, they chose to stay at home after finishing their morning exercises instead of playing outside. Sometimes they kissed each other and sometimes they leaned against each other while watching TV programs on the iPad.


      At that time, it was the third day for the delegation of Bruder to visit Gao Fen. Oblak was invited to participate in the activities held by martial arts fighters of Gao Fen and he was disappointed for failing to find a fighter with a superpower.


      The bullet train went so fast through the mountains and across the fields. As Lou Cheng was sharing a funny post with Yan Zheke, he suddenly received a phone call from Wu Ting, a VIP student of the summer class who was still a freshman in high school. Her hair was always tied in a ponytail.


      "Hello?" Lou Cheng answered the call, puzzled.


      "Lou Sir, Lou Sir, when do you plan to come back to Xiushan?" Wu Ting asked in a happy tone.


      "What's up? I probably won't do the part-time job in the martial arts club during this winter vacation." Lou Cheng thought that she just wanted to continue martial arts training.


      This did not mean that he did not want to make money. After he returned to school, except for the allowance from his parents, he had spent a lot of money but had made none. Even though he had gone on fewer dates with Yan Zheke, his expenses on other things increased a lot. For example, after studying for a period of time, Queen of Thought and her partners had made a prescription which could be used to help people master the inner practice of the "Swordsman" Formula. Geezer Shi then passed this prescription on to him. He also got a lot of other similar things from his master. Although the Ice God Sect would provide him some materials for practicing martial arts every month, he still needed to buy more by himself. Several months later, it cost Lou Cheng almost 80,000 Yuan to buy those extra materials.


      He did not get his strength as strong as a Professional Sixth Pin without any effort!


      Furthermore, Lou Cheng also spent a large amount of money on the date, on presents, and on the hotel booking, so his deposit now was less than 200,000 Yuan. Since he temporarily could not find any source of income, it was inevitable for him to think of a part-time job, such as teaching some students. However, the martial arts club would also be closed and had no winter classes during the Chinese New Year.



      Hearing Lou Cheng's reply, Wu Ting was disappointed, but still maintained a happy attitude. "If I've nothing to say, then I won't be allowed to call you?"


      "No, you won't," Lou Cheng said half-jokingly.


      "... " Wu Ting was speechless at that moment. She kept silent for 10 seconds, then laughed angrily. "I see that Lou Sir has a sharp tongue! I didn't call to ask you for a favor. It's my dad, he is looking for you."


      "Why is your dad looking for me?" Lou Cheng became more confused.


      Wu Ting laughed happily. "My dad has a martial arts supply company. He would like to invite you to endorse some shoes to let that brand spread out from Xing Province and be popular across the country!"


      "Endorse?" Lou Cheng was shocked.


      At such a low level, I can endorse products?


      Shouldn't the Mighty Ones with Physical Invulnerability be the ones with these endorsement deals?


      Sitting next to him, Yan Zheke was attracted by their conversation, so she turned her head and winked with confusion.


      "My dad said your future is bright. Um, you will not only have a bright future but also a limitless future. You will certainly come to the peak of martial arts," Wu Ting explained to him happily.


      My Lou Sir is so amazing!


      Lou Cheng replied consciously, "But what you said is all about the future; no one dares to promise you the future. If your dad chooses me to endorse the shoes now, he might end up losing money... "


      "No, he won't. Lou Sir, you're popular now. All of us have watched the match between you and Peng Leyun! My dad said that as a favored fighter of the age and a local fighter in Xing Province, you can help him expand the provincial market and even get a chance to develop the regional market." Wu Ting added, "Anyway, you don't need to do any other things. You don't need to film an advertisement. All you need to do is to wear the specific martial arts shoes we made for you in every Challenge Tournament that you participate in."


      "Then they will be broken into fragments," Lou Cheng said humorously.


      Wu Ting again was speechless. She laughed and, after hearing what the people next to her told her, said, "What are you afraid of? Which martial arts shoe brand won't be broken? As long as we design them to look cool and you wear them, some people, like me, who always follow the latest fashion, will buy shoes that you endorse if you can wear them for several matches."


      She bluntly deprecated herself.


      "This news is too sudden. Right now, I'm so surprised that I don't know how to respond. I'll reply to you after I think about it carefully." Lou Cheng did not impulsively accept her suggestion immediately.


      Wu Ting laughed cutely. "My dad means that after you return to Xiushan, you can go to the company when you are free to talk about this with him face to face. If you think the conditions are good enough, they will measure you there immediately so that the workers can design the most suitable martial arts shoes for you."


      "OK, I'll be back in Xiushan this afternoon. When will your dad be available at the company?" Lou Cheng decided to talk about the specific terms with her dad.


      "Well, my dad will have a business trip tomorrow, but he is in the company today. So, how about you go to talk to him before 6 PM?" Wu Ting asked tentatively.


      "OK, send me the address. I'll tell you when I go out," Lou Cheng said with discretion.


      Wu Ting chuckled and said, "Yes, Sir!"


      After he hung up the phone, he looked at Yan Zheke sitting next to him. She had already figured out what was going on, so he needed not explain. She pursed her lips and laughed. "You even got an endorsement contract now!"


      "Holy high, my Cheng!"


      "I still have no idea what the specific conditions are, but I'm guessing they won't offer that much money." Although Lou Cheng was very happy, he remained sober.


      With his current strength and his present level, he could not get a very high-paying endorsement.


      But it still could be considered as a complement to me, because I am unable to earn a stable income on my own .


      Yan Zheke looked up and said with great concern,


      "Even if those conditions were not bad, still you shouldn't rush to sign the contract. First, you can take it back to a lawyer to have a look at it in case it's a trap. While not many would dare to cheat you, there are still some people intending to mess you. They are like pieces of sh*t. Even though they are unable to set a trap for you, they can still disappoint you."


      "Sure, Coach Yan!" answered Lou Cheng gladly.


      Yan Zheke pursed her lips and smiled. She suddenly sighed. "In the future, I will have no chance to buy martial arts shoes for you."


      "No, you can. I just have to wear them when I'm in a match. In my personal time, I'll still think the shoes you bought for me are the best! I've only worn the first pair of shoes you gave me a few times, so they are still new." Lou Cheng took the opportunity to flatter his girlfriend.


      Yan Zheke smiled and looked out the window, wearing a slightly proud expression.


      It only took about an hour to travel from Gao Fen to Xiushan by bullet train, so they quickly found some familiar scenery. Yan Zheke got a phone call from Empress Dowager.


      The reason why they deliberately chose this bullet train was that its arrival time was exactly similar to the arrival time of one of the high-speed trains from Songcheng to Xiushan.


      "Um, I'll arrive in a minute!" Yan Zheke hung up the phone and saw Lou Cheng taking down their luggage. She looked at him gently and reached her hand out to help him tidy up his clothes.


      Once they have arrived back in Xiushan, they would be very busy because of the New Year. In addition to the morning exercises, they might have fewer chances to meet each other...


      After stepping off of the car, they reluctantly waved goodbye to each other in the arrival hall.


      Lou Cheng walked out of the station carrying the luggage. After he replied to the girl's message, he called his mom.


      "Mom, I am home!"


      Qi Fang seemed to be in a noisy environment, so she said loudly on the phone, "Your dad and I are busy with the renovation of the house, so we had no time to buy food. Go to the market and buy something that you like. I'll make food for you when I get back home. Ah, the new year is coming. The decoration workers are absent-minded now for they are eager to return to their homes. So I have to supervise their work and urge them to finish working on the water and electricity before the spring festival."


      "That's my mother! The moment I come back home, she begins to instruct me to complete so many tasks!" Lou Cheng found her funny but still agreed to do what she said.


      After a long period of careful selection, Qi Fang finally chose a house of 130 square meters, which had three bedrooms, two living rooms, and two kitchens. This house also had two bonuses, which were the entrance and the terrace. It cost them more than 550,000 Yuan in total to buy this house, including the tax that they paid. Because they paid cash, Lou Cheng's parents also spent all of their money except for the 400,000 Yuan that Lou Cheng had given to them. Only two months later, his parents had saved enough money to start the water and electricity renovations.


      Because if it was not necessary, Qi Fang, who had suffered a lot because of borrowing money, did not want to try it again.


      Lou Cheng got on a shaky bus and went back home. As he was walking toward his house, the uncles and aunts he encountered on the way warmly greeted him and said something like: "Oh, Cheng has become outstanding now". They also praised him for the grateful heart that he held toward his parents and for the act of providing money to buy a house for his family.


      Lou Cheng felt a little proud and excited while watching the envious and thoughtful neighbors. But he still had one idea in his mind, which was, "How many people did my mother tell that I gave her money to buy a house? How much did she show it off? How many people know about it?"


      When he came near the doorway, he met another acquaintance, Wang Xu's father.


      "Hello, Uncle Wang." Lou Cheng greeted him politely.


      Wang Xu's father walked with a slight stoop and his hair had become grey. He looked like a person of 60 or 70 years old. He then looked at Lou Cheng and laughed. "Cheng, have you come back from school? You are already so successful. Your father and mother will enjoy a happy life from now on."


      "Please don't say that, Uncle Wang. You can only believe half of my mother's words." Lou Cheng ridiculed his mother.


      "Even if the truth is half of whatever your mother has said, it's already quite a feat." Wang Xu's dad sighed with emotion and walked out of the building. He turned to find the group of old men who were playing chess.


      Lou Cheng turned around to watch him go away. Lou Cheng then sighed and had some mixed feelings in his heart.


      If a person chooses the wrong way, it will hurt not only himself but also others.


      This accident was not as serious as before. If I have some time, I'll ask Uncle Xing for help and go visit Wang Xu in jail.. .


      He recovered his thoughts and emotions. When he returned home, he put his backpack down, picked up a basket, and headed to the market.


      The last time he went to the market alone was when he was in the fifth grade of primary school. That time, he went to the market not to buy food, but to look for his mother.


      "Thinking about grocery shopping by myself, I'm suddenly a little nervous." Lou Cheng smiled as he sent the message to Yan Zheke.


      Yan Zheke sent a "half covering the mouth and whispering" emoji.


      "I've never been to the market before... "


      "Then I'm better than you." Lou Cheng sent an emoji "laughing with its hands at its sides".


      "Hmph, are you able to bargain?" Yan Zheke sent an "angry face" emoji.


      "No, I'm not!"


      "Are you able to tell the quality of meat?"


      "Probably a little?"


      "Can you tell if they injected water into the meat?"


      "No, I can't... "


      "Can you pick out good quality vegetables?"


      "No, I can't... "


      Her questions made Lou Cheng lack self-confidence. He found that his personality as the Champion of the Youth Tournament did not work in the market.


      "Can you distinguish wild animals from domestic poultry?" Yan Zheke kept asking him.


      Lou Cheng's anger was mixed with amusement, so he sent her an emoji with words:


      "Classmate, you're killing our conversation!"


      "Haha." Yan Zheke sent a "laugh while thumping on the ground" emoji and said, "Go buy food now. I'll wait for your messages!"


      After entering the market, Lou Cheng bypassed various stains with his flexible footwork. He then casually stopped at a pork stall and asked the boss, who had a fat face, "How much are the ribs?"


      Ah, tonight I want to eat some winter-melon pork rib soup!


      Even though he bargained with the boss, the price was still the same. He looked at the boss, who was helping him chop the ribs, and asked, "Can I pay for this with my mobile phone?"


      "Yes, please scan my QR code." The boss pointed to a picture on the wall.


      To pay by mobile phone was so convenient now. People did not have to bring any cash or change with them... Lou Cheng used the phone to sweep the code. After his phone identified the QR code, he suddenly found that the nickname of the boss was:


      "The past has gone with the wind and only exists in dreams".


      "What a literary name that is!" Lou Cheng looked up at the fat boss with astonishment. Looking at the flashing, shiny oil on his face, he still could not believe he had such a literary name...


      "Well, I paid." Lou Cheng paid for the ribs.


      The boss helped him pack the ribs and then wiped his hands. He then picked up the phone and checked it.


      "Okay, I received the money."


      "He really has such a nickname..." The corners of Lou Cheng's mouth twitched slightly and he put the ribs in the basket. He then went to another stall.


      Later, he met a fishmonger called "Love You Forever" and a vegetable seller called "Abandoned Child". He found that his worldview was refreshed, so he shared these humorous names with Yan Zheke.


      At 15:30, he went out again after he brought the food back home. He took a taxi to the address that Wu Ting had sent him.




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     352 Contrac
      In the Yingjin Building of the Pingle District.


      When Lou Cheng entered the lobby of the newly-built office building, he received a lot of attention from the security guards due to his student-like appearance. He ignored them and looked around with great interest, observing the passing office workers who wore down jacket or all kinds of overcoats instead of the typical suits and ties or formal skirts and high heels in his imagination.


      The elevator he entered was not crowded as the people in the building were still at work. On his left were two men discussing business. On his right was a straight-haired girl carrying a few cups of milk tea and several slices of cake. With his keen sense of smell, Lou Cheng had to pinch his nose slightly due to the smell of perfume on her body.


      "If I didn't get Jindan and didn't start practicing martial arts, perhaps this would be my daily environment... " Lou Cheng lamented internally. He exited the elevator at the tenth floor and saw the logo on the wall in front of him.


      It read Zaoji Martial Arts Supplies Co. Ltd.


      "This is the place I am looking for!" He turned left and saw a receptionist with long beautiful hair looking down at her phone in a bored manner.


      "Hello," he tentatively greeted the lady.


      The receptionist suddenly raised her head and put down her phone quietly. She blurted out,


      "Who are you looking for?"


      As a company receptionist, she had a beautiful look and sweet smile, but also a pair of glassy eyes.


      "I'm looking for Manager Wu." Lou Cheng returned her smile.


      "Manager Wu? Who are you referring to?" the lady asked with confusion, having calmed down.


      "Manager Wu. Wu Qinggui," Lou Cheng answered calmly.


      The lady looked him up and down suspiciously.


      "Have you already made your appointment?"


      Though she found the young man in front of her to be very cute, he also seemed younger, as if he was an undergraduate student. So what was he doing here?


      Was he here to apply for an internship?



      But there was no need to bother Manager Liu with such trivialities, was there?


      "Yes, I have." Lou Cheng nodded with a smile.


      "Okay then, I will ask." She picked up the phone with uncertainty, dialing someone's number.


      "Hello, Manager Wu. A guest is waiting for you... Yes, yes, he's very young... Okay, okay." As she talked on the phone, she looked at Lou Cheng with surprise.


      He really had an appointment with Manager Wu!


      After putting down the phone, she said with a much sweeter smile, "Manager Wu asks that you wait for a moment."


      Manager Wu did not mention why he had to wait and neither did she know the reason.


      "Okay." Lou Cheng put his hands in his pockets and looked around leisurely, admiring the layout and decoration of the Zaoji office.


      Just then, he heard a burst of rapid footsteps closing in. He subconsciously looked in that direction and found a middle-aged man with a thin and strong figure approaching,


      "M-Manager Wu!" the receptionist stood upright and shouted shyly.


      Manager Wu came out to personally welcome this young man!


      Who was this young man?


      Wu Qinggui wore a suit and tie. He had a square face with thick eyebrows and big eyes. He approached Lou Cheng with a smile and outstretched his arms to shake hands with him passionately.


      "Oh, you should have called me first when you arrived. Come, come. Come into my office."


      "Manager Wu, you are too kind. I can find this place myself," Lou Cheng said calmly. He followed Wu Qinggui into his office and passed by many working quarters. He finally arrived at the office at the end of the corridor, leaving the receptionist stunned for a long time. It took her a long time to snap out of it.


      "... that is the general situation. I believe Tingting has told you this?" In the office, Wu Qinggui sat on the guest sofa and repeated the conditions about the endorsement. He took a cup and took a sip of tea to moisten his throat.


      Lou Cheng smiled. "Yes. I basically know what is going on. I just want to know what specific terms you have made."


      Wu Qinggui requested the sample contract from the secretary and handed it to Lou Cheng.


      "The main content is that we will give you one million yuan over three years. You just need to wear our martial arts shoes when you fight in matches. There are additional terms of the contract made to give you money. You can first take a look at them."


      "Okay." Lou Cheng began to read the contract quietly.


      One million yuan over three years. This condition was much better than he had expected!


      He felt embarrassed to even bring up the endorsement money again...


      He thought that his current endorsement fee would only be tens of thousands of yuan. Most fighters of the Dan stage did not even have the chance to get an endorsement. What was more, he would not need to attend other activities or film any advertisements. He would earn this fee simply by wearing a pair of shoes. It was that easy!


      He turned the pages very quickly, the professional terms used in the contract making him dizzy. He basically understood the contract in the end.


      The additional terms that Wu Qinggui had mentioned earlier were indeed beneficial to him. Generally, the terms meant that he could get extra money according to the level of matches he participated in!


      For example, the group competitions of the National University Martial Arts Games would certainly attract less attention than the semi-quarter finals, the semi-finals, and the finals. Every bit of progress he made would lead him to advance in a completely different stage, meaning the martial arts shoes he endorsed would certainly be shown in a much more popular stage. Thus, the endorsement contract also set out some ranked rewards.


      According to those terms, the maximum fee this contract could offer him was more than 10 million yuan within these three years. But Lou Cheng thought this was an illusion. He certainly could not make this much money, because the biggest reward he needed to get based on this contract was the title of one of the top 32 fighters in the five biggest title matches.


      How could he achieve this!?


      The fighters who advanced to the top 32 of the five biggest title matches were all masters of the physical invulnerability!


      With his strength and current improvment speed, he was still hopeful to earn more than 1,500,000 yuan in these three years based on this contract... Lou Cheng put down the contract in his hand.


      "Manager Wu, can I bring this contract home to look it over? I will respond in two days."


      That was right. He was interested in these conditions. He would return and find a lawyer to help him out with this contract!


      He needed to ask his Senior Sister for help this time. She would introduce him to a good lawyer!


      "No problem. You can write down my email address. If you have any problems with the contract terms, you can directly ask me." Wu Qinggui readily agreed. He picked up the pen and quickly wrote down an email address on a paper.


      He then stood up and laughed. "I will bring you around our office. This is the center of gravity of my recent business. Oh, by the way, I can help you measure your accurate data so we can design a specific martial arts shoes for you."


      "Okay." Lou Cheng did not turn down his suggestion.


      Following Wu Qinggui, he toured the design department and other places. In the end, he entered an office decked out like a scene out of a science fiction film.


      "This machine collects data about your force. We can carry out the following steps with the data." Wu Qinggui ordered the professional designers to help Lou Cheng measure the length and width of his feet, pointing at the metal table mounted on the ground.


      After the designers were done with the measurements, he smiled and raised his chin. "Give it a try. You only need to stand on it and exert your maximum force into your feet."


      Lou Cheng hesitated. "Won't I break it?"


      Even he was terrified of the explosive power he now had...


      "How can that happen? This machine is of good quality. I have already asked a few Professional Ninth Pin fighters and mighty ones of the Dan stage to test its force." Wu Qinggui smiled without any concern.


      Lou Cheng was still uncertain. "There really won't be a problem?"


      "No problem! If it breaks, it's on me!" Wu Qinggui laughed.


      "Okay then." Lou Cheng stepped on the metal table with his socks on.


      As they waited for the technicians adjusting the equipment, Wu Qinggui said, "Okay, you can start now."


      Under Wu Qinggui's eager eyes, Lou Cheng took a breath to unify and balance his spirit, his blood, and his force, concentrating them into one entity.


      He broke out his Danqi and abruptly exerted force into his feet.


      Clang!


      At the entrance of the Zaoji office, the receptionist suddenly felt dizzy and found the ground shaking.


      "Earthquake!" Startled, she ran out. She also found that her colleagues were also rushing out from every office.


      Just then, the microearthquake ceased. The workers in the company looked at each other with stupefied expressions.


      "Go back to work. It is no big deal." The receptionist settled down and waved her hand to comfort them.


      That scene repeated on every floor of the Yingjin Building.


      In the testing room, Lou Cheng looked at the broken metal table and raised his head innocently. "Seems like I broke it... "


      It was not 'seemed like'! It was really broken! Completely broken! Wu Qinggui gaped and his eyes widened. He was truly startled, as if he was seeing the arrival of an alien.


      Was this the explosion made by a Sixth Pin fighter?


      It was like he had caused an earthquake!


      "Manager Wu, the fighters you found before were of Eighth Pin in the Dan stage, right?" Lou Cheng tried to pass the buck.


      "Yes, yes." Wu Qinggui broke out of his reverie and said with a wry smile, "This machine really does not work well. It's on me, on me!"


      The fighters who were in the Inhuman rank really were inhuman now!


      Lou Cheng once again looked at the table he was standing on and curiously asked, "Has it measured any data?"


      "No... " The technicians answered him with tearful expressions.


      Wu Qingui calmed down and smiled. "It's time to get off work. How about we have a dinner together?"


      "Haha. It is my first day back home, so I must accompany my parents. Let's eat together next time." Lou Cheng still felt a little guilty.


      "Okay." Wu Qinggui did not insist on his suggestion.


      …


      Lou Cheng first went home and chatted with Coach Yan for a while. He then called his Senior Sister, Shi Yuejian, to discuss the endorsement. Following her instructions, he took photos of the contract and sent them to her.


      When it was late, Shi Yuejian called him back. "Little Brother, the contract has no problems, but it lasts for a long period of time. Three years from now, you will graduate from university and will certainly become a fighter who can participate the top professional games, so your social status will be completely different at that time. This contract will waste your value. So you should sign a contract for two years. They should give you 700,000 yuan within two years. All the uncertain terms are reserved."


      "If you are too embarrassed to demand this from them, you can adopt the two-plus-one pattern. Two years from now, they have your endorsement priority, but the conditions they offer should be similar to what others are offering."


      "Got it. Thanks, Senior Sister," Lou Cheng said happily.


      The door opened just then. Qi Fang and Lou Zhisheng had returned home wearing tired expressions.


      "Cheng, what are you talking about?" Qi Fang casually asked him while changing out of her shoes.


      Lou Cheng laughed. "I'm talking about a big contract."


      "Big contract... " Qi Fang smiled without interest and walked into the kitchen.


      What kind of big contract could one sign by only fighting in some matches and winning a little bit of money?


      Lou Cheng did not explain himself. He wanted to wait until he signed the contract and surprise his mother with money for their house furnishing.


      Haha...


      "I only saw how hard your mother had it after following her around to work on the house furnishing." Lou Zhisheng sat down and leaned against the sofa in exhaustion.


      Lou Cheng glanced at the kitchen. "Then let's ask Mom to stop making dinner. How about we eat out?"


      The moment he finished his words, he heard Qi Fang shouting from inside the kitchen. "What kind of pork ribs did you buy?"


      "Just regular pork ribs... " Lou Cheng answered in bewilderment.


      Was there any difference between ribs...


      Qi Fang was annoyed but also found her son ridiculous. "Can't you pick a better part of the pork? Since your teeth are good, you should gnaw on them yourself!"


      The champion of the Youth Tournament and fighter considering a one million yuan contract, Lou Cheng, blinked innocently and felt a little sorry for himself.


      How would I know which rib part to buy...




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     353 Gushan Martial Arts School
      "Hahaha! Though I don't know it either, I still want to laugh at you!" Listening to Lou Cheng's complains about the grievances he suffered no thanks to the ribs, Yan Zheke sent him a cry-laughing emoji.


      Lou Cheng smiled and shook his head, replying her with an emoji biting a handkerchief. "I was so eager and expected to seek comfort from you, but you are just laughing at me... "


      "Okay, fine. Come here, let sister fondle your head. We can go and pick out pre-packaged ribs at the supermarket in the future!" Yan Zheke sent a snickering emoji.


      "Why do I still feel like you are laughing at me... " Lou Cheng sent an emoji touching its chin, pointing out this fact.


      "Hehe, don't pay attention to the details." Yan Zheke sent an emoji with question marks flashing above its head.


      Lou Cheng flirted with Ke through QQ messages as he chatted with his dad, Lou Zhisheng. He also helped his mother prepare ingredients for their dinner and patiently waited for it to be ready.


      Around seven, Lou Cheng dipped a piece of pork rib into the sauce and bit the meat off quickly with his healthy teeth.


      These were some fine pork ribs! Why did his mom dislike them!?


      Suddenly recalling something, Lou Zhisheng put down his chopsticks and took a sip of wine. "Cheng, you may need to go back to our hometown and worship the ancestors in a few days."


      "Worship the ancestors?" Lou Cheng was stunned.


      What did his dad mean?


      Were his great-grandparents not buried in Xiao Yueshan Cemetery north of this city? He had even visited their graves over his summer break.


      Lou Zhisheng laughed heartily when he saw his son's expression. "I mean to go back to our old hometown and visit our ancestors. Well, you have never been there. It is in the nearby Qingfu County."


      Lening City in Qingfu County!


      "Oh, it is Grandfather's hometown... " Lou Cheng immediately understood what his dad was saying.


      He had never thought that place would be his hometown, because he was born and bred in Xiushan. He had spent all his 18 years here since birth, so he regarded Xiushan as his real hometown.



      Lou Cheng's family was not native to Xiushan. Lou Debang was born in the neighboring Lening City in Qingfu County. When he turned 20, he found a job at a factory in Xiushan City. He then settled down and raised his family here. In the end, he bought his parents here and lived with them.


      When Lou Cheng was born, his great-grandparents were already buried in Xiushan. They gradually fell out of touch with their relatives in Qingfu. Lou Debang had visited his hometown twice in the first few years after his retirement. Those visits ceased as he aged because he did not want to travel back and forth between the two cities.


      "Yes. Your grandfather recently dreamed of his childhood and thought it was our ancestors reminding him to return to worship them. Maybe he was homesick. What's more, now you have also succeeded in your way. Of course, he wants to go back and visit them," Lou Zhisheng said, shaking his pair of chopsticks.


      If he did not settle in Xiushan in the future, would he also think and dream of this place often when he becomes old? Lou Cheng considered this, touched to hear his dad's words.


      The answer was definitely yes. Unless he could completely abandon his childhood and more than half of his youth, unless he could totally forget all the difficult but memorable moments he spent here, he would miss this place often.


      Even now, when he would study in another city for six months, he would often miss Xiushan.


      "Okay. I don't really have any impression of Qingfu. I will go there with my grandparents and think of it as a trip." Lou Cheng shook his head and laughed.


      He truly knew nothing about his relatives and the situation there.


      His mom ate a piece of melon and laughed when she heard him. "Your dad doesn't remember that place either. He has only been there four or five times. The last time he went was when we were newlyweds."


      "Yes. I only remember a river and a grave hill. When you were born, I thought I had to bring you there for a visit but completely forgot it because I was too busy." Lou Zhisheng chuckled.


      "I heard the family members over there are discussing remaking the family records. Every family has to chip in some money or they won't be recorded. What kind of society do we live in now? And we live in cities too. What does it matter if we are not recorded in the records? They just want to take our money!" Qi Fang complained.


      "But the elders really like things like this." Lou Zhisheng was not concerned about it either.


      Had he not lived well all this while even though he was not recorded in the family records?


      Lou Cheng listened as if he was listening to gossip. He planned on searching the web for delicious food there or some native specialties later. He would try his best to bring them back to his fairy. If not, he would try the food first and kidnap his fairy for a future visit.


      When he thought it this way, he became quite curious about his grandfather's hometown. As he ate, Lou Cheng wondered out loud. "Is the whole family going? We have such a large family. It will be troublesome to buy everyone's tickets... "


      "Most likely. We can rent several cars and provide the drivers with food and accommodation," Lou Zhisheng answered him slowly.


      It was obvious his family had gone over the details several times.


      "Okay then." Lou Cheng felt relieved and no longer concerned himself with this. He was only a student and would only be there to accompany his parents. All he needed to do was follow his family to have good food and worship their ancestors. There was no need for him to worry about this visit.


      Lou Zhisheng's phone vibrated a few times as their discussion stretched on. He picked up the phone and had a look at it. He smiled at Qi Fang and said, "Old Zhao invited us to have tea and play cards with him this weekend."


      "Sounds good." Qi Fang agreed easily and looked up at Lou Cheng. "Your Uncle Zhao always invites us to play with them when we are free. Since you are on your break, do you want to join us?"


      "Uncle Zhao?" Lou Cheng was perplexed.


      Who was he? Why did he have no memories of this person?


      Lou Zhisheng took a sip of wine and smiled. "Haven't you already met him? He is my childhood friend, Zhao Zijun. His daughter has gone on a blind date with your cousin brother. The blind date didn't work out, but we have started contacting each other again."


      "Oh, him... " Lou Cheng thought of the scene when he saw Mr. Zhao and Mrs. Zhao in Chief Xing's house. Not wanting to say anything else, he only smiled. "We'll see. I may need to do something that day. I am still part of the team coach of Xiushan during the preliminaries. "


      "Why are you still so busy when you are on winter break?" Qi Fang nagged a little out of her heartache for her son. "Oh, Fatty Guo also invited us to dinner. Huh, I never found him this passionate before! What a drastic change since you won the Youth Tournament!"


      Guo Min was Lou Zhisheng's boss.


      That was not true... Lou Cheng silently judged his mother's opinion.


      Guo Min began to change his attitude since he recognized him.


      "Hey, Cheng. Fatty Guo keeps saying he has a life-saving debt to you. What does he mean?" Lou Zhisheng asked with a frown.


      "There was a fugitive who fled to Xiushan back then. Thanks to my master, I have some connections with the police. So I was asked to do them a favor and guard Guo's family for one night." Lou Cheng gave them a simplified explanation.


      As expected, his parents found nothing wrong with his words. They lamented how cowardly Fatty Guo was while complimenting Lou Cheng for having a wide network of friends.


      After dinner, Lou Cheng shared all these things with Yan Zheke. They began enthusiastically discussing the kind of specialties Qingfu had and if Lou Cheng's family ever had any great ancestors.


      Unfortunately, Lou Cheng's family was common, so there was no prominent past about his family. But someone brilliant had appeared in this generation. That was the champion of Youth Tournament, Lou Cheng!


      Lou Cheng suddenly received a message from Jiang Fei while chatting with Yan Zheke.


      "Cheng, I need to ask you something!" Fatty Jiang added an admiring emoji.


      "What's up? Aren't you coming back the day after tomorrow?" Lou Cheng replied with a nose-picking emoji.


      Fatty Jiang sent a grinning emoji. "Yes, I will be back the day after tomorrow. I want to ask you what the fun places in Xiushan are. I have a few classmates coming over to play for several days."


      Lou Cheng laughed as he read Jiang Fei's message. He then replied, borrowing Little Ming's tone, "Aren't you also a Xiushan native? Why are you asking me this?"


      "Hehe, how would I know where the delicious food is! I usually stay home. But you are always on dates with Yan Zheke, so you know where the fun places are," Jiang Fei said unabashedly.


      Lou Cheng replied with a snickering emoji. "To be honest, I do know. There is a place we usually go to."


      "Where?" Jiang Fei kept asking him.


      Lou Cheng replied with an emoji with an evil smile. "The library! It is the place we frequent the most when we are on dates!"


      Fatty Jiang was speechless. "So should I bring my friends to sightsee in the library?"


      "Haha." Lou Cheng felt very happy after he succeeded in making fun of his friend. He then poked fun at him and said, "There must be some girls among those friends. Why else would you take this so seriously?"


      Fatty Jiang sent an emoji scratching its head. "Yes, there is. A classmate will come here with his girlfriend and the girl will bring a female friend along. They just want to take a trip here. I didn't fall for her. I just want to get to know more girls so I will have more chances to get a girlfriend."


      "Not bad. You are being very practical." Lou Cheng teased him. "Then you can take them to Xiushan Spot. You can climb the mountain and stroll around the temple. When you come back, you can use your talent to bring them to eat the delicious food."


      "Is that it?" Jiang Fei could not believe it, so he tried to seek confirmation from him.


      "What else are you going to do within two days?" Lou Cheng smiled and scolded him. "Most probably come here for the scenic spots."


      "Oh, you are right." Jiang Fei finally made his decision.


      …


      The next morning, after Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke completed their morning exercises, they ate dishes they had missed for breakfast. Since Yan Zheke had family activities to attend to, Lou Cheng said goodbye to her in front of her estate.


      When he went home, he found that no one was around. So his plan to accompany his mom to handle the house furnishing arrangements and play his role as a son were ruined. His dad was at work and his mom was busy supervising the furnishing of the new house.


      "I have become the idlest person in the world... " Lou Cheng thought self-deprecatingly. He changed his clothes and took his house key. He then walked toward the Gushan Martial Arts School while carrying the boiled soup and other things. He wanted to borrow their Strength Training Gymnasium and arena to continue his tempering.


      He also heard from Qin Rui that the Xiushan and Tiangao preliminary teams would be competing in friendly matches in the school this afternoon in preparation for the post-New Year preliminaries. He could also take a look at the matches.


      There were a few people in front of the Gushan Martial Arts School. All the female receptionists were looking inside, full of anticipation.


      Lou Cheng did not greet them and slowly walked into the arena. He saw that several partitions had been removed and a standard ring had been set in the middle. The disciples of the martial arts club and other spectators sat cross-legged around the ring. They watched the fight as they discussed.


      Lou Cheng bent down slightly and casually patted one of the students' shoulders, indicating for him to move to the side so he could sit.


      The student turned around and seemed bewildered at first. He then immediately looked surprised. "Lou... "


      Lou Cheng did not know who he was, so he smiled and placed a finger on his lips as a way of telling him to curb his excitement and not make any noise.




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     354 Everyone Has Made Progress
      The boy wearing an excited and surprised expression immediately closed his mouth upon seeing Lou Cheng's gesture. He swallowed the last word he wanted to say and nodded fervently to show that he understood what Lou Cheng meant. He then moved to the other side and offered Lou Cheng a seat.


      Smiling at him, Lou Cheng moved forward and sat down cross-legged in one smooth movement. He looked at the ring and saw Qin Rui fighting a Professional Ninth Pin fighter. The crisp, dull sound they made as they sparred resounded in the arena.


      "Brother Lou, when did you come back?" the boy beside him asked quietly as if he was doing something secretive.


      Lou Cheng turned to look at the ordinary-looking boy that he really could not remember. He let out a wry smile. "Yesterday. I thought I'd come here today to borrow the Strength Training Gymnasium, but I happened to see the fight here, so I decided to watch it."


      He raised the bag in his hand to prove his words.


      "Oh!" The boy seemed like he had completely understood the situation. Glancing at the fight going on the ring, he said in an envious tone, "Ever since Senior Brother Qin mastered his meditation, his strength improved so rapidly. It hasn't been that long, but he is close to becoming a Professional Ninth Pin fighter... "


      "His body condition is great. As long as he overcomes his visualization shortcomings, he will naturally improve quickly." Lou Cheng smiled with gratification.


      In July, Lou Cheng started to instruct and correct Qin Rui's meditation methods. Qin Rui finally mastered it after he overcame his bitter emotions and went through a difficult four-month practice. That meant he had successfully overcome an important threshold in his martial arts way.


      With his physical advantage of a 1.9 meter height, thick body, and long limbs, he could easily defeat a Professional Ninth Pin fighter now that he could use visualization in real combat.


      The boy nodded, agreeing with Lou Cheng. He smiled fawningly and said, "No matter how quickly he improves, he is still no match for you, Brother Lou... Will you work part-time at our club again? I-I want a one-on-one class with you."


      Had the boy asked Lou Cheng yesterday morning, he might have agreed. Now he simply laughed and said, "I have many things planned this winter break, so I won't have time for a part-time job. If you have any questions, you can ask Qin Rui for advice. If he can't help, you can come to me if you see me free after my tempering. You can talk to me casually, no need for any formalities."



      Last night, he had sent Wu Qinggui his suggestions on the contract revisions. Now all that was left was to wait for Wu Qinggui's confirmation after he returns from his business trip.


      "O-Okay!" The boy next to Lou Cheng nodded in delight.


      He too knew it was impossible for Lou Cheng, who had already reached the Sixth Pin rank, to take on a part-time job in a martial arts club. Fighters who were born to ordinary households could not afford a one-on-one class by a master of the Sixth Pin anyway.


      Inside the ring, Qin Rui gave a full demonstration of his strength and fought his bearded opponent with full concentration. The referee of this match was a grey-haired old man with deep wrinkles. He could be a famous fighter who had settled down in Xiushan after his retirement.


      Xiushan had beautiful scenery and good air quality. Many native fighters would sometimes return and live here for a period of time when they became old.


      When the audience heard a crisp sound, Qin Rui took the opportunity to use his physical advantage to beat his opponent down.


      "Good!" Lou Cheng applauded and cheered for him. He did not look any different than the other martial arts disciples and students around him.


      They were the so-called onlookers.


      Qin Rui had indeed made great progress, worthy of the applause.


      Qin Rui shook his fist with satisfaction and saluted his supporters. He walked to the other side and sat beside Monk Wenguang, listening to his comments on his movements in the ring and further instructions.


      The next match was between Jiang Shuiyan from Tiangao and Zhou Zhengyao from Xiushan. Both were close the level of Professional Ninth Pin, so they were so well-matched that neither could gain the upper hand.


      Jiang Shuiyan suddenly attacked, making several sharp and smooth strikes against Zhou Zhengyao and finally pushing him out of the marginal line to win the match.


      "Good!" Lou Cheng applauded again.


      With the controlling ability of body refining state, she could blend the 'sharp' style with the 'smooth' style perfectly. This showed that she had mastered the basics!


      This time, his applause did not blend in unnoticed, unlike before. The supporters of the Xiushan team were quiet and pitiful following Zhou Zhengyao's loss. Lou Cheng's cheering contrasted starkly against the quiet atmosphere, attracting heavy attention on him.


      Jiang Shuiyan looked at him, surprised the Xiushan audience would applaud and cheer for her victory.


      The audience here was not made of a general audience. Those here to watch the friendly matches were either the martial arts disciples or friends and relatives of the team members. They were definitely the kind to cheer for their own people and not celebrate the opponent's victory.


      She looked over and noticed a young man whose appearance was not outstanding but had a clean look. She nodded at him, appreciating his honesty and frankness.


      The corners of Lou Cheng's mouth upturned and he applauded again.


      "You are pretty good... "


      "Xiushan people are quite friendly."


      "That guy is frank and honest. I like him... "


      The fighters of the Tiangao preliminary team glanced at him, whispering among themselves joyfully and excitedly.


      The martial arts disciples and students were rather surprised. Following the sound, they looked at the man who had clapped. The moment they noticed the familiar figure, they immediately held back their scolding words.


      Lou Cheng?


      He came back?


      Chairman Wei Renjie and Qin Rui were first shocked and then overjoyed. However, their reactions were masked by the referee announcing the start of the next round.


      While the fighters fought, Qin Rui stood up and moved to Lou Cheng's side. After pushing past the others, he sat down beside Lou Cheng and laughed.


      "Yesterday you didn't mention that you would come over."


      "My mom abandoned me, so I had no choice but to come here and have fun and borrow the Strength Training Gymnasium," Lou Cheng answered casually, chuckling. "You have improved so much recently. I was a bit shocked earlier."


      "It is all thanks to your advice. Master Wenguang has been amazing as well," Qin Rui said modestly, showing just a hint of pride.


      Lou Cheng placed his hands on both knees and carefully watched the match. "Martial arts is ultimately all on you. You can't force a cow that doesn't want to drink. Not bad, you can try to get the Professional Ninth Pin certification this April. Oh, right, how many friendly matches will the team be fighting?"


      He issued the question without much concern.


      "The chairman wants us to fight in about ten matches and take the opportunity to fight with neighboring teams. This way, everyone can gather as much practical combat experience as possible. We are fighting the Fenhu preliminary team next and then the Bat team of Lening. Well, this team is very powerful because they have a Dan stage fighter. Last year, they even advanced to the second round of preliminaries. They are unfortunately still weaker than teams from provinces with strong martial arts basis, so they couldn't move further... " Qin Rui answered excitedly.


      "I see," Lou Cheng answered without concern. He was treating this conversation as a casual chat.


      Friendly matches meant to be learning experiences were different from the formal matches. This time, the two teams had fought for eight rounds. This way, the leading and benched fighters of both teams all had the opportunity to fight. The fighters would exit the ring no matter the result.


      The match came to an end at 10:30 AM. The Xiushan team won a good score, 5 to 3. Wei Renjie was incredibly proud of the team and talked with the coaches from the Tiangao team for a long time. In the end, he even invited them to lunch with his team.


      After the fighters from Tiangao City walked into the locker room to take a shower and rest, Wei Renjie and Monk Wenguang came to speak to Lou Cheng warmly. "Lou, would you like to join us for lunch this afternoon?"


      "It is okay, Chairman. There are too many people and I am unfamiliar with them. There is no meaning to it." Lou Cheng frankly expressed his own opinions.


      "Okay. Then I will find time to treat you a good meal privately." Wei Renjie was not angered by his refusal. He even smiled and said, "I was planning to persuade you to help us fight in several preliminaries and win some matches for our team. But you improved so much recently that I am embarrassed to ask you for this favor. It is simply bullying to have let a Professional Sixth Pin fighter compete in the preliminaries!"


      "Donor Wei is right. A Professional Sixth Pin fighter should be a leading player in district competitions. He can even join the Carry-over Competitions as a benched player." Monk Wenguang carefully gave Lou Cheng a once-over while wearing a warm smile.


      The preliminary was the fourth level professional matches in martial arts and the lowest kind. At third level, the matches were called Preparation Competitions of the northern and southern districts. In matches at this level, middle-sized clubs or teams would generally make the fighter in Inhuman level and high-ranked Dan Stage the leader and the Mighty Ones of Sixth or Seventh Pin the leading players. The Carry-over Competition was the second level of professional matches. Teams belonging to this level would have one fighter of physical invulnerability. They will make the fighters in the Inhuman level the leading players and bench the Sixth or Seventh Pin fighters.


      In other words, Lou Cheng need not worry that he would not have a team to join even if he graduated now.


      Lou Cheng was scared by Monk Wenguang's odd gaze and smiled wryly.


      "I should first try my best to win the University Martial Arts Games."


      Lou Cheng excused himself after chatting for a while longer and walked upstairs toward the Strength Training Gymnasium. Qin Rui followed him and asked in concern, "How will you settle your lunch? Why don't I order extra and bring it back to you?"


      "Nah, don't mind me. I will just grab something nearby. I still have to continue my tempering later. " Lou Cheng waved his hand.


      "You still have to practice in the afternoon?" Qin Rui asked in surprise.


      "I'm free anyway." Lou Cheng sighed and laughed softly. "It's not easy to catch up to Peng Leyun... "


      "It's not easy to catch up to Peng Leyun... " Qin Rui was stunned as he watched Lou Cheng disappear into the corridor. He suddenly realized how insignificant his self-pride was.


      Lou Cheng was trying to be one of the best fighters of their country in his age group!


      He truly belonged to a different level!


      …


      In the locker room, Jiang Shuiyan dried her hair with a towel after her shower as she used her phone.


      "Sister Shuiyan, you fought really well today!" Huang Bing, a benched fighter, gave her a thumbs-up.


      "Yes! Your performance shocked the Xiushan audience! They even applauded you!" The leading player, Tan Degao, also agreed with Huang Bing.


      The other members began laughing and teasing Jiang Shuiyan, making her both happy and embarrassed. She added humbly, "The brother probably applauded because he thought the way I sparred was kind of nice and beautiful... "


      She suddenly recalled something and frowned.


      Hesitantly, she said, "For some reason, that brother looked familiar… "


      "Familiar?" Tan Degao and Huang Bing also ransacked their memories. The more they thought, the more they felt the same. They too thought they had seen the young man who applauded somewhere.


      Seconds later, Huang Bing's eyes widened. He finally realized who the young man was. He blurted out,


      "L-Lou Cheng!"


      When the hype around a champion of a Provincial Youth Tournament died and there was no continued coverage, most of the audience who enjoyed martial arts or the games on TV would easily forget about him. They would only have a vague impression of him at most. But he was certainly a great fighter that they could not ignore as fellow fighters in this province!


      "Lou Cheng?" Jiang Shuiyan's mind also became clear. Surprised and delighted, she said, "Yes, it's him! Lou Cheng!"


      It really was him!


      He had actually come to watch such a low-level match...


      Lou Cheng! Tan Degao and others glanced at each other to seek confirmation and could not help falling into momentary silence.


      After a while, Tan Degao sighed. "Shuiyan, even Lou Cheng is applauding you. You can stop being so modest."


      Jiang Shuiyan raised her head slightly and laughed.




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     .


     355 Late Night Visitors
      The Tiangao team met the Xiushan team when they came out of the locker room. Jiang Shuiyan and Huang Bing could not help but carefully size them up in an attempt to find the familiar figure. Unfortunately, they failed to do so, leaving only regret behind.


      After recognizing Lou Cheng, they recalled details they had forgotten. Lou Cheng represented the Gushan Martial Arts School in the provincial Youth Tournament, and where they were currently at was precisely that school!


      It was no wonder that they saw him here!


      More often than not, fighters would only rewatch the footage of Lou Cheng's matches. Except for those who became his fans, no one would read Apotheosis of Fighters again. The speed at which primates forgot insignificant details was incredibly alarming.


      Of course, they would have noticed earlier had Xiushan just used the title "Gushan Martial Arts School" back when they were deciding their friendly matches. They would have at least associated the school with Lou Cheng. But they were only taken to the school after arriving in the urban area of the city. Some of their team members did not even see the school signboard. Those who did see it placed their focus on the upcoming matches and only blurted out, "Oh, Gushan Martial Arts School…"


      Jiang Shuiyan was disappointed when Lou Cheng did not show up. When she looked around, she found Monk Wenguang poking and drawing on his smartphone with his forefinger. It seemed he was doing an incredibly difficult task.


      For some reason, she thought a monk holding a modern technology product was a jarring sight. With a smile, she said, "Master, do you need help?"


      When it came to teaching the elderly to use smartphones, she was second to none!


      The moment Jiang Shuiyan turned her head, Monk Wenguang had already locked the screen of his smartphone with a finger. He laughed and said, "You are very considerate. I'm only writing an email. I'm good, thanks."


      Yo! So he knew how to send emails using his phone! Jiang Shuiyan laughed at this thought quietly, praising the monk in her mind.


      "Master, you are really keeping up with the times."


      "Amitabha. If I do not enter hell, who will enter hell?" Monk Wenguang placed his palms together with a smile.


      …



      "Swordsman! Swordsman! Swordsman!"


      Inside the Strength Training Gymnasium exclusive to disciples, a low, ancient sound reverberated constantly, as though a subtle, mysterious feeling proliferated the heavens and earth.


      Lou Cheng was standing and his empty thermos cup was sitting behind him. His hands were wrapped around a ball composed of mercury. He allowed the ball to drop down gently, slowly coming to a rhythmic roll, as he used external pressure and subtle perceptions to facilitate the tempering of his body and spirit.


      This was the "Swordsman" Formula created by Fei Dan, the Queen of Thought, and further developed by him. Parts of the tactic were also applicable in his Dan stage practice of the Ice Sect and the Fire Sect as well as the visualization of the Frozen River Diagram, the Cold and Frozen Diagram, the Prairie Fire Diagram, and the Zhu Rong Diagram.


      As he continued his practice, the semi-enclosed Strength Training Gymnasium underwent a wonderful change. On one side, the temperature had risen with underlying heat. On the other side, the breeze was blowing and the surface of the metal instruments felt colder to the touch. The two conditions intertwined to form a vortex that slowly turned until they amazingly formed a balance.


      After an unknown amount of time, Lou Cheng positioned himself in the Closing Form and ended his practice.


      He put down the large ball and exhaled the air in his chest and abdomen. The heat and cold inside the Strength Training Gymnasium immediately fell out of balance and collided with each other. They actually transformed into a fleeting burst of breeze and shallow mist.


      Lou Cheng bent over to pick up his towel and wiped the sweat from his face. He looked tired, but his body felt abnormally refreshed. He picked up the rest of his things and walked out of the room to find a place to exercise.


      "Brother Lou Cheng!"


      Just as he reached the stairs, he saw his cousin's, Qi Yun Fei's, boyfriend, Ding Yanbo, standing straight with his hands at his sides.


      "Are you not resting in the afternoon?" Lou Cheng asked with a smile.


      Suppressing his excitement and joy, Ding Yanbo answered, "We only practice in the morning."


      That was why he was waiting here!


      "Feifei told me you received the Amateur Ninth Pin certification," Lou Cheng mentioned casually, his hand in his pocket.


      Ever since Qi Yunfei began studying in Xiushan No.1 Middle School, she was basically a husky that had broken away from its chain. She would return home once a month and spent the rest of her days either monkeying around with her friends or going on dates with her boyfriend.


      Fortunately, her midterm result was a giant wake-up call and she began to take her studies seriously.


      "Y-Yes. It hasn't been that long," Ding Yanbo replied cautiously, but his raised brows revealed his inner joy and satisfaction.


      "Not bad. You have only dabbled in martial arts for six months and your body is not completely developed yet. You have done well to get an Amateur Ninth Pin rank. You have hopes to thrive in this field." Lou Cheng was generous with his compliments.


      "Feifei said you only took a month," Ding Yanbo said curiously, grinning.


      "Basically." Lou Cheng had grown out the phase where he would show off to children. "Practice well. You will have your chance as long as you practice hard."


      He was implying that if Ding Yanbo could raise his standards and general physical fitness to the Amateur First Pin level, the results of his Internal Training Methods would not lie.


      Since Ding Yanbo had heard Qin Rui mention something similar several times, he immediately understood what Lou Cheng meant.


      "Yes! Brother Lou Cheng!"


      Lou Cheng nodded without saying anything else. He found another place and first replied to Yan Zheke's messages before beginning his practice. His formidable movements made sizzling and crackling noises.


      Today, he focused on practicing Snow Cover and Cold Swallow, the 13th and 19th moves of the Ice Sect respectively. The moves were tricky and hid the user's intentions well, with too many transformations unexplored. It was not a technique that he could forget about once he had learned the basics.


      At 3 PM, Lou Cheng felt his energy draining and thus ended his practice. He showered and changed into clean clothes.


      "I feel very productive after finishing my practice." He sent a message to Yan Zheke with a snickering emoji.


      Yan Zheke was still with her family and only replied a few minutes later with an emoji with sparkly eyes. "Our Cheng works so hard that I feel ashamed!"


      "Hehe. It feels motivating to have a goal for you to catch up to." He responded with an emoji flaunting his muscled arm. "Honestly, the desire to protect will always keep me motivated, but it is impossible for me to feel spirited and spurred into full action without anything going on."


      Of course, he felt steadier and lasting this way.


      "Then should I give you a sense of crisis?" Yan Zheke replied with a snickering emoji. "To be honest, I'm distressed by how tired you feel. Work hard and defeat the big devil, Peng Leyun!"


      "Of course!" Lou Cheng forwent any heroic statements and only laughed. "If you keep me company more often, I will have more rest."


      He visited his grandparents after leaving Gushan Martial Arts School before slowly returning home. He sprawled on his bed without caring how he looked and chatted with Yan Zheke as he read a novel. He felt relaxed as he cleared all his mental exhaustion.


      …


      Inside a temple at the foot of Xiushan late at night.


      Monk Wenguang was turning his rosary with his eyes closed when he abruptly bounced to the door without moving his waist or body. He opened the door and looked at the two people outside.


      "So fast?"


      One of them was tall and imposing, with a reserved comportment. He carried a somewhat deterrent air and seemed as if he would inexplicably frighten away all snakes, pests, and rats if it was summer.


      This large man laughed heartily. "Just so-so."


      "Donor Dong, please come in." Monk Wenguang raised his palm.


      Dong Shaoyang entered the room straightforwardly. Wenguang turned to look at the other man, respectfully saying, "Predecessor Sin Flame, please come in."


      The person had deep eye sockets, a straight nose, greying hair, and eyes that hid fiery passion. He seemed to be middle-aged. He was none other than the Divine Enchanter of Sin Flame!


      The man nodded gently and entered without a word.


      When Wenguang closed the door behind them, Dong Shaoyang paced a few steps before asking with great interest,


      "Master, when will you make your move?"


      "Namo Amitabha. Donor Dong, don't be impatient," Wenguang answered in surprise.


      "I am feeling quite impatient." Dong Shaoyang had a wide face and big eyes. He snickered and said, "I have been unsatisfied ever since he won the provincial Youth Tournament. I have been looking for a chance to fight him and see who is the number one among the young fighters in the Xing Province!"


      "Unfortunately, I can't take action without receiving orders. Now that an opportunity has presented itself, how can I be patient, Master?"


      His face was mature, his manner heroic. He looked over 30, but from his words, it seemed like he was under 26 or perhaps even simply 22 years old!


      "But we still have to wait for our chance." Monk Wenguang tried to persuade him.


      Just then, the silent Divine Enchanter of Sin Flame spoke in a low voice.


      "Don't disturb the locals."


      "Predecessor Sin Flame, I know, I know," Dong Shaoyang replied with a smile. He turned to Wenguang and said, "Our target has only ever experienced a life-and-death fight once? That is too little! An arena fighter who has not seen much blood is innately far weaker!"


      "That is why we requested you to come." Wenguang put his hands together and smiled.


      Dong Shaoyang burst into laughter.


      "Great! Then I will show him what it means to tread between life and death!"


      When it came to the contest for supremacy, no one was exempted!




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     356 Too Young
      "Hmm! You sneakily went for grilled eggplant without me!"


      At 9 PM outside of Old Liu Barbecue, Lou Cheng took out his mobile and saw Yan Zheke's message from a few minutes ago.


      Lou Cheng's mouth curved upward into a smile unconsciously and he replied, "Qin Rui's treat for instructing him to meditate."


      After yesterday's friendly match, Qin Rui's fame grew significantly within the circle.


      "I don't care! You are eating it without me unless you bring two eggplants for me!" Yan Zheke added an emoji with heart in its eyes and saliva coming from its mouth.


      Lou Cheng chuckled quietly and quickly typed his reply. "I was just about to ask if you needed my exclusive delivery service (sneer). Well, as you have asked so nicely, I'll bring you some!"


      "Looking forward to it!" Yan Zheke sat elegantly with a bowl in front of her, waiting for her feeding time.


      Noticing her delayed reply, Lou Cheng stroked his chin and asked, "Are you done shopping and dining with the Empress Dowager?"


      "Mhmm! Everyone says shopping is a gift shared by all girls. Why is it not true for me? Am I not a girl (amusing)?" Yan Zheke said pitifully, "Cheng, I miss you. I miss your foot massage with the tremor force!"


      "This is not the time to suggest the practice of the "Swordsman" Formula... It will ruin the romance!" Lou Cheng was typing when Qin Rui approached after paying the bill and tapped his shoulder. "Shall we?"


      "You guys go ahead. I'll order something to go." Lou Cheng pointed at the grill.


      "Why didn't you say so earlier?" complained Qin Rui.


      "Are you not considering me a friend?"


      Lou Cheng answered with a smirk, "This one I have to pay myself!"


      "Got it!" Qin Rui came to a sudden realization and chuckled. "We won't take more of your dating time. See you around."


      "See you." Lou Cheng waved at Ding Yanbo and him and then turned to the owner. "Two eggplants to go. No spring onion, please."


      It reminded him of how annoyed the owner was by his repeated request of no spring onions when he prepared several thermos lunch boxes to bring food from Xiushan to his then classmate, Ke, last Spring Festival.



      "Got it," answered the owner frankly with no odd expression. Apparently the memory didn't come to him.


      He could recognize the regular customer Lou Cheng, but he couldn't remember all his trifles.


      "One day, when the owner remembers not to put spring onions himself as soon as I mention eggplants to go, I can consider myself a frequent customer." Lou Cheng's heart was warmed by these old memories and his mind moved swiftly.


      "One year has passed... Time flies when we are having fun... It felt like yesterday... "


      Waiting for the grilled eggplants, Lou Cheng stood there playing with his phone while he spotted a familiar figure from the corner of his eye. It was Jiang Fei in a black down jacket.


      "Hey! Fatty Jiang!" greeted Lou Cheng joyfully. He saw two men and two girls behind Jiang Fei, all student-looking.


      "It must be his classmates who came to visit for a few days. Old Liu Barbecue for the first meal... What if it was too heavy for their taste buds?" thought Lou Cheng to himself.


      Surprised to chance upon Lou Cheng here, Jiang Fei was lost for a moment before waving at him. "I was just thinking about contacting you in the next couple of days."


      He then went on to introduce, pointing at Lou Cheng,


      "My classmate."


      Pointing at behind him.


      "My classmates."


      He was very amused by himself. "What kind of introduction is this?"


      He hurried to explain, "High school classmate and university classmates."


      "Hello." Jiang Fei's university classmates greeted politely.


      "Welcome to Xiushan," replied Lou Cheng in a respectful manner. Paying no attention to their faces, he noticed that their clothes were more fashionable than that of Xiushan locals.


      Taking a quick glance at the BBQ house, Jiang Fei said generously, "What a coincidence! Cheng, join us."


      "I just finished. Waiting for some grilled eggplants for My Grace," laughed Lou Cheng.


      "Your Grace... " Jiang Fei was lost for a few seconds before coming to a realization. He shook his finger with envy. "I just kindly offered you a meal and you returned the favor by showing off your love? You must make up for my mental damage!"


      The conversation went long a bit longer until Jiang Fei led his four classmates into the restaurant and Lou Cheng left with grilled eggplants, about to order a taxi.


      Watching him with a bag of takeaway food from behind, Jiang Fei's female classmate in a Korean jacket chuckled and said in a soft voice, "Jiang Fei, your classmate is very healthy. He's barely wearing anything on such a cold night."


      Xiushan was cold and humid, pretty tough for many northern men. Seeing Lou Cheng in a light jumper and a windbreaker sent a chill down her spine.


      "Maybe he's just sacrificing the warmth for the looks?" laughed a chubby girl with her hand held by one of Jiang Fei's male classmates. She had pretty good features, but both her face and body were a bit fat.


      Jiang Fei felt a bit awkward. "He's pretty damn healthy... "


      Like a monster!


      "I don't believe it. All men like to play tough!" The first girl chuckled with her hand on her mouth. Her voice was much more attractive than her looks.


      She changed the topic. "My cousin was like this. He didn't wear any sweaters during the winter. Only a down jacket and nothing more. His hands, feet, and ears all suffered from frostbite. How miserable!"


      As the Lou Cheng topic ended all of a sudden, Jiang Fei didn't bother to explain further. He chatted along with his friends and urged the cook to hurry with their BBQ meat.


      The beginning of the alley was well lit by the lamps on the main road, very different from further in.


      He heard a vague shout.


      "Help!"


      Lou Cheng turned to the direction where the cry had come from and saw an abandoned six-floor building surrounded by a worn wall, weeds, and scattered bricks. On the side of the building, "To be broken down" was written.


      "Help!"


      A female voice came out with intense fear and panic.


      With zero hesitation, Lou Cheng changed his direction, hopped over the broken wall, and dashed towards the building to bring justice.


      For him, an average crime was no big issue!


      "Help!"


      The voice now sounded like it was about to cry. Lou Cheng followed the direction where the voice came from and came to the first floor where all windows were broken. He agilely jumped up and gave a push with his right hand to reach the second floor as fast as he could.


      While running, a subtle, unspeakable feeling developed in his heart. All the hair on his body stood up.


      Without thinking, Lou Cheng stopped and gathered his qi, blood, strength, and spirit in his lower stomach.


      Bang!


      The wall in front of him exploded, firing broken bricks and rocks like bullets in all directions through the air that was now saturated with dust smog. Every single piece carried the fatal strength that could end his life. He could block and dodge a few, but not all.


      The terrifying part was yet to come! A tall and sturdy figure broke out of the wall behind those shooting rocks and threw himself at Lou Cheng in an imposing manner that could bring kids and timid ones to tears. He attempted to launch a fatal blow at Lou Cheng when he was busy dealing with the striking rocks.


      Lou Cheng suddenly realized it was a trap. This dangerous martial arts expert was after him!


      With no time to ask why or regret, he had to handle those approaching bricks.


      In another room on the second floor, the Divine Enchanter of Sin Flame with deep eyes and high nose shook his head.


      "A young man that grew up in peace... "


      "He knows nothing about traps or tricks, so he follows his usual practices and previous experiences in peace and falls so easily!"


      "Isn't this the purpose of your trip?" Monk Wenguang smiled.


      Behind them, a girl in a seductive dress had fallen into a deep sleep.


      …


      Surrounded by broken bricks and rocks, approached by a strong enemy from behind, Lou Cheng was in a dangerous situation where there seemed to be no chance of survival. He would probably have tried his best to block and duck, playing with details and hoping for the best. However, this time he sensed it one second earlier!


      Bang!


      He fired his Dan strength downwards from his feet and made a hole in the worn-down floor. He began to fall freely to the bottom floor in dust and brick pieces and conveniently avoided the shower of rocks and any following attacks.


      "Interesting... " Dong Shaoyang murmured to himself. Apparently, he was even more into this game now.


      Instead of following into the hole and a potential ambush, he concentrated his force and stamped.


      Bang!


      The ceiling was broken again and Dong Shaoyang sank behind the shield of falling bricks.


      …


      Bang!


      Inside Old Liu Barbecue, the chubby, round-faced girl listened carefully and muttered with a frown, "I think I heard something... "


      "Normal. It's a bar street down there," answered Jiang Fei casually.


      "Hmm... " The girl wiped off her frown and waited for their BBQ patiently.




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     357 Intense
      Bam! Broken bricks smashed into the ground, raising a cloud of dust and smog like in an action film and raising a powerful scent of danger.


      The desire to kill felt almost tangible. This man was a terrifying enemy!


      Any minor mistake would cost him his life in front of this powerful enemy. It would be even worse if he had assistants.


      Lou Cheng felt besieged on all sides.


      His muscles tensed up and he felt goosebumps all over. A mixed feeling of fear, panic, and tension-filled his heart, culminating in an intense desire to survive.


      "No... I don't want to die here!"


      His parents' tears of sorrow, their love even in nagging and silence, his life despite difficulties and hardships, and Yan Zheke's broken heart, joy and ecstasy upon his love confession, and their sweet daily life... These memories flashed through his mind.


      "No! I can't let this happen! I can't lose my happiness!"


      Lou Cheng's spirit lifted at the silent shout from his heart. A fire gathered in his eyes, igniting his feelings and holding his body up.


      Bam!


      The takeaway box of grilled eggplants flew out of the broken window, drawing a beautiful curve in the air.


      Bang!


      The ceiling was broken again and rocks and bricks came pouring down. As soon as Lou Cheng landed, his two hands formed a spell seal and his mind visualized glittering ancient characters. He then shouted with an overwhelming will to fight at the attacking figure in the air,


      "Bang!"


      The atmosphere instantly turned fierce, with smoke from guns rising as if hundreds of thousands of troops were gathering from all directions.


      Lou Cheng believed it was the most imposing and most powerful launch of the "Army" Formula so far. When his mind and emotions perfectly corresponded to the secret discipline, a breakthrough occured.


      "Army!"


      The chilling sound echoed in Dong Shaoyang's ears. It felt like a gun was at his temple and the trigger was being pulled.



      He felt a sudden shiver and his body shook noticeably. Lou Cheng took two steps forward while gathering his qi and blood to throw a heavy blow to the side of his waist with his tremble force before his landing. No hesitation or mercy, he was firm, decisive, and cold-blooded


      "I pity him, but who has mercy for me? There's no room for mercy in front of a life or death matter."


      Dong Shaoyang's eyes suddenly became clear and grim. As someone who was well experienced on the battlefield, he had tempered his heart into a rock through dangers and risks, so he effectively resisted the "Army" Formula.


      "What a joke! Where were you when I led my troops into enemy territory, into extreme dangers, into the realm of death to slay the enemy general?"


      "What a joke! Where were you when I fought for my life against ruthless killers and ended their lives?"


      "How can a young fighter who has only seen blood once in the arena be able to perform the essence of the secret discipline?"


      "I've gone through things you can never imagine. Using such a secret discipline on me is not a good idea!"


      Dong Shaoyang's killing desire was fully exposed. He curled his body in the air to focus his qi, blood, spirit, and force in one point.


      Bam!


      His body turned slightly, swinging his extended right arm at Lou Cheng using the strength from fall and his Dan stage explosion. Tendons and vessels were bulging on his dark fist.


      Right before their fists met, Dong Shaoyang completed a strange visualization, compressing the surging force at his fist once again.


      The contraction was followed by an explosion. Wild waves flooded out.


      Bam!


      A dull sound echoed in the room of tens of square meters. Lou Cheng felt pain in his fist and his arm shivered. He was forced to step back by that odd double explosion.


      One step... Two steps... He couldn't stop until his body hit the wall hard!


      This was a six-floor residential building that was waiting to be torn down. The structure was not very open because of the walls of the flats and space was limited, making it hard for them to utilize their moves. It was like they were fighting in a small living room or someone's bedroom.


      Bang!


      Lou Cheng fell back, breaking the weight-bearing wall and falling into another flat.


      Knowing that he was at a disadvantage and in extreme danger, he managed to remain calm and regained his balance thanks to his recently achieved Ice Mirror. His right hand moved rapidly, firing a brutal fireball to stop Dong shaoyang from getting closer.


      He immediately threw a left hook, sending out a cold beam along the ground towards the enemy.


      The upper, middle, and lower paths were all blocked.


      Bam!


      Outside, the box of grilled eggplant had just landed on the ground.


      Slightly affected by the shiver zen, Dong shaoyang swayed a bit in the air. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he strode forward to catch up with Lou Cheng, giving him no time to catch his breath.


      A red glow shone in his eyes as the fireball approached at high speed.


      He twisted around and shifted his weight. He used his footwork to move along the ground smoothly, dodging the ice fire attack.


      Bang!


      The fire exploded and cold beams sprang out in all directions. He broke through a wall and barged into Lou Cheng's room in an imposing manner.


      Bam. The weight bearing wall completely collapsed, breaking into a mess of rubble.


      Lou Cheng had already regained his balance. Instead of withdrawing, he advanced to approach the enemy.


      Courage wins in a life or death battle!


      Beams of light shone in his eyes while his mind seemed to be filled with drifting snowflakes. His hands were raised unconsciously and his wrists quivered to perform seven attacks at Dong shaoyang's body simultaneously.


      Cold beams shot out from his fists, creating a massive fog with tiny ice crystals to block Dong Shaoyang's vision. These ice crystals trembled constantly and gave off a buzzing noise which interfered with the enemy's hearing ability.


      The 13th move of the Ice Sect, Snow Cover!


      With strength accumulating in his hands, Lou Cheng suddenly tightened his pelvis and legs and launched a silent low kick with his right foot, aiming at the enemy's ankle.


      Dong Shaoyang apparently had seen this coming. He lifted his arms and contracted his thighs, launching a powerful left kick in return.


      In a split second, Lou Cheng bent forward to lower his center of gravity and put his right foot down on the ground gently.


      After the brief, gentle touch, he dragged his body to the side of the enemy and created an excellent opportunity before Dong Shaoyang threw a left kick.


      This was the use of the 19th move of the Ice Sect, Cold Swallow!


      Lou Cheng combined this move with the Snow Cover and formed a combination of two strikes.


      After the defeat dealt by Peng Leyun, his hardcore training and effort were finally paying off.


      Master the techniques and follow the heart.


      He visualized an ice-bound river and crackling thunderclouds and raised his right arm high into the air to perform a downward punch calmly.


      The simplified physical invulnerability, Severe Warning!


      With such a short distance between them, Dong Shaoyang faced a very dangerous situation as he had missed and lost his previous advantages.


      No despair or panic could be seen. Instead, he calmly gathered all his strength and exploded the danqi in his spine.


      Pang!


      His spine curved in the shape of a bow, flinging his body back onto another weight-bearing wall.


      His Severe Warning had missed the target, but Lou Cheng didn't feel down. He shifted his weight with his intense desire to fight and extraordinary calmness and threw himself onto the enemy who was about to fall onto the ground.


      His danqi fired out and he easily closed the distance between them with one dash.


      Monk Wenguang lifted the sleeping girl and went somewhere else with the Divine Enchanter of Sin Flame. He muttered quietly, "Very gifted in battle... Senior, try to speak quietly. We don't want to draw any attention."


      "Yeah." The Divine Enchanter of Sin Flame gently nodded.


      …


      Dong shaoyang tried to recover after crashing into the broken wall and regained balance in the air. Watching Lou Cheng approaching, all the color faded from his eyes except for a ghostly white.


      He visualized accordingly, shook his chest, and opened his throat to perform a loud exhalation.


      "Dong."


      The surroundings suddenly turned silent. Lou Cheng stood in an empty room in the middle of the night, listening to the knock at the door. Outside of his window was a graveyard with the biting wind blowing by.


      He felt scared and nervous instantly, his body shaking out of control.


      However, he was extremely determined at that moment. He quickly calmed his body and formed a seal to perform the Nine Words Formula.


      "Forwarding!"


      His voice transformed into a sharp arrow, carrying his negative feelings towards the enemy.


      Dong shaoyang looked grim and resolute. He seized this opportunity to approach Lou Cheng from the front, concentrated his force, and prepared his body to perform another double explosion.


      Bang! Bang! Bang!


      Lou Cheng put on a series of the Dan stage explosions in response, but the double strikes pushed him backward after each exchange. More and more walls were broken, causing the entire sixth floor to shake.


      Clang!


      Dong shaoyang didn't stick to a reckless frontal offensive. Instead, he changed his rhythm and started using his agility, leaving Lou Cheng no room to perform his simplified physical invulnerability or to dodge.


      Quintuple explosion, then sextuple and septuple...


      Appearing to be completely at a disadvantage, Lou Cheng continued to retreat and break more walls behind him. His back hurt, but his footwork and concentration were still together. Thanks to the perception ability from the Ice Mirror, he managed to anticipate the enemy's next move and dodge again and again.


      Without this martial arts style, he would have been defeated many times.


      Bang.


      Another weight-bearing wall collapsed and the entire room was shivering. Dong shaoyang moved to Lou Cheng's left and pulled his arm once again.


      However, this time he didn't concentrate his force but visualized a flame aggregating, condensing, and exploding.


      The simplified physical invulnerability, Internal Explosion!


      This strike will explode within the target's body.


      His previous double strikes were not tricks. He had no intention to reduce Lou Cheng's alertness or hide this move. When it came down to life or death, no trickery was necessary. A sudden inspiration at the right time would serve the best because too many things could change.


      Dong Shaoyang's arm muscles pulsed as he revealed his fists, hoping Lou Cheng would block subconsciously like earlier. Even if he could sense the difference, his rushed dodge would be a great opportunity for Dong Shaoyang to launch follow-up moves.


      With his heart peaceful like an ice mirror reflecting everything in the surroundings, Lou Cheng noticed that Dong Shaoyang hadn't gathered his qi and blood or force.


      " Damn it!" His spirit suddenly felt threatened and his hair stood up. A few ideas flashed through his mind and he exerted strength from his feet to spring up without hesitation.


      This move would be considered too risky. The wielder would be courting death in the ring unless they could fly or was close to the physical invulnerability stage. However, in this situation, Lou Cheng wouldn't fall in a hurry or get stuck.


      Ka!


      He reached the ceiling and his ten fingers opened wide to grab the rock, keeping his body hanging in the air.


      He concentrated his force and curled his back, using his fingers for support to push his body back like a gymnast. His feet pushed against the ceiling to throw himself into a counterattack.


      Dong Shaoyang, who was on the floor, saw all this. He knew about his forced direction change and that the Internal Explosion punch would make Lou Cheng bounce to another direction. He was waiting for him to land before landing a fatal blow to him in the air. His target was Lou Cheng, while Lou Cheng's target was the ceiling, which meant that he had nowhere to go.


      With that idea flashing in his mind, Dong Shaoyang tightened his lower stomach and prepared to jump in another direction in hopes of luring Lou Cheng to approaching him, thus giving Dong an opening to dodge and then launching an attack from behind with his elbow.


      It was not a trick but a slow movement that would give him enough room yet cause his rival to make a mistake from his Absolute Reaction.


      Bam!


      Lou Cheng kicked his legs and pulled with all his strength, breaking the ceiling and pouring rocks down.


      He bounced back towards the window away from Dong Shaoyang as if trying to escape.


      "Want to run?" Dong Shaoyang's mouth curved upward, his tightened stomach loosened up, and his knees straightened. He changed his direction suddenly and jumped at the enemy from behind.


      "You exposed your flaw!"


      By the window, Lou Cheng felt the approaching attack from behind and a fierce wind blowing behind him, yet he remained calm and collected. His hands grabbed the window sill to flip his body facing up and he performed a twist and kick.


      Pang!


      His tattered shoes flew out alongside flames and a crystal cold beam from his feet towards the dashing Dong Shaoyang.


      Dong Shaoyang let out a dull hum and exerted strength from his feet with his muscles bursting. He attempted to produce an explosive sound in the air to generate a hurricane to block the strike of ice and fire so that his physical body could withstand this attack.


      Bang!


      Before he could complete his move, the fireball exploded, shooting out extreme heat that turned the cold beam into spreading fog which completely blocked his vision and blurred everything around him.


      Bam!


      The fog exploded and a fist with dark tendons and vessels appeared like a deadly weapon, punching at Dong Shaoyang's head from a higher angle.


      "To withdraw to allow for a better attack!"


      Lou Cheng's eyes were sharp, fists firm, flesh hardened, and his entire body was taller and stronger. Everything obstructing his future happiness would be destroyed.


      With no time to launch another double strike, Dong Shaoyang had to concentrate his force and lifted his right arm in a hurry to block.


      Bam!


      Since the fight was at the life or death level, this was the first time Dong Shaoyang had to withdraw.


      Lou Cheng advanced further to reduce the distance between them. He completed a double explosion before his opponent could prepare for another double strike.


      Triple Explosion, quadruple explosion, and quintuple explosions in a row! He included the techniques of the 24 Blizzard Strikes and met Dong Shaoyang in close quarters. He kept punching, giving Dong Shaoyang no time to perform the mysterious double strike or any unknown secret spell.


      Six, seven, and eight burst explosions! Lou Cheng was increasingly wild and fierce. The Dan stage explosion was thrown out as if it cost nothing at all. He realized that his rival was not as powerful as Peng Leyun and not yet at the Inhuman level. In other words, he had great physical strength, but he was no monster.


      Bang! Bang! Bang!


      Lou Cheng was burning with his desire to battle. His sweat evaporated from his head, forming a puff of white fog.


      bam!


      Dong Shaoyang was finally hit by the ruthless Brutal Blizzard. He smashed into a weight-bearing wall and the six-floor building shook violently.


      Rocks fell down in a shower. Lou Cheng stamped his foot and once again approached the rival who had just stabilized his body. In his mind was the scene of the great red sun and a bleak frozen river.


      Bang!


      The great sun hit the ice on the river. When the two vanished, Lou Cheng withdrew his arm and then threw his fist out.


      A variation of the Severe Warning!


      Dong Shaoyang showed no panic as if he had faced this many times. He had no time to jump and he knew he couldn't withstand this. He chose to fall on the floor and roll like a lazy donkey.


      "Army!"


      Lou Cheng dispersed his force and formed a hand seal while shouting out an ancient spell.


      Dong Shaoyang was shocked while rolling. He felt threatened from all directions.


      The shock didn't last long. His powerful mind quickly overcame the impact. However, Lou Cheng seized this opportunity to slide closer and threw a right kick.


      Bam! Bam!


      Dong Shaoyang managed to handle a few strikes until his defense was broken. He collapsed onto the wall.


      Bam!


      This crash left the weight-bearing wall and the entire building shaking. Blood came out of his mouth.


      With calmness in his eyes, Lou Cheng was about to slide forward to finish Dong Shaoyang with one final kick to the neck.


      But the shaking building had crossed the tipping point and hundreds of rock started to fall down, giving off a rumbling, terrifying roar.


      Lou Cheng paused and decided to save his own life first. He broke through the side wall with his Force Concentration and moved quickly to the open area outside the building. Dong Shaoyang was resigned, and loss and disappointment filled his eyes.


      Bang!


      The second Lou Cheng landed on the ground, an ear-piercing sound came. Half of the six-floor building collapsed and soon the entire structure broke down, burying this strong killer.


      …


      " Should be dead this time, right? " Lou Cheng dared not stay in the dust, afraid of other enemies. He quickly snuck into another residential complex and found a place to hide. He dialed Geezer Shi's number.


      It was his first time experiencing such a situation. He was seeking aid from his master without thinking.


      "Hello, Master. Someone wanted me dead." Lou Cheng gushed at his master as soon as the call was connected.


      "Who? Cough... who has the balls?" Geezer Shi was shocked and then furious.


      "I don't know... " Lou Cheng still felt lost.


      "It was too sudden... I had no idea what was going on... "


      " Who did I annoy?" he thought to himself, feeling wronged and angry.


      "Are you safe now? Go to Xing if you are still in danger." Geezer shi said, puzzled, as soon as he calmed down.


      Lou Cheng briefed him quickly, describing the enemy's moves and his own condition. He asked in the end, "Master, do you have any ideas?"


      "..." Geezer Shi was silent for a moment before he opened his mouth with his teeth ground tightly together. "I got it. Don't worry. Go back and sleep. It won't happen again. Damn it. I'll tear the base apart. No apology for the Fire Sect's simplified physical invulnerability... Cough... Anyway, it won't happen again. Don't ask questions for your own sake."


      "Fine..." Lou Cheng was completely lost. He chose to trust his master.


      It was not a random attack...


      After walking out of the safe, dark place, he looked back at the place where he just had an intense fight. The building had collapsed and dust and haze were still in the air.


      Something was very odd here. The loud sound of the collapsing building didn't wake up anyone in the nearby complexes.


      " Very odd... " Lou Cheng frowned and thought to himself,


      Lou Cheng thought for a moment before giving Yan Zheke a call.


      "Cheng, you've arrived?" Yan Zheke sounded full of joy.


      "Not yet... I had some problem. Could you... Could you get me a pair of pants?" Lou Cheng didn't know whether he should smile or cry when looking at his broken jeans.


      It was not a match and Lou Cheng was not in martial arts suit. His tight pants had broken after the use of the Dan stage force.


      "Ah?" Yan Zheke asked in bewilderment.


      …


      After dinner, Jiang Fei led his classmates towards the end of the alley, planning on a late night cruise. The girl in the Korean style jacket suddenly burst into a scream, pointing,


      "Shouldn't there be a building?"


      The chubby, round-faced girl followed her hand and noticed a pile of ruins. She was so shocked that she was dazed.


      "Right... I saw it earlier. It was right there before dinner. How did it collapse?"


      How did it collapse?




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     358 Whose Tes
      Upon hearing the girls' exclamations and whispers, Jiang Fei and other two boys looked to the side and saw the collapsed walls and rubble.


      "There was a building..." the tall boy with the bangs murmured blankly after a short while.


      He remembered clearly that when he entered this alley with Jiang Fei and Jin Li, they had seen a building beyond this wall. As to the exact number of stories, he hadn't counted. In any case, the building was neither high nor low.


      The reason why he was so impressed was that he had seen the words "To be demolished" written in red paint on the wall. He could have joked about it, but he didn't want to hurt Jiang Fei's feelings.


      But now, this building had collapsed just as they were having a barbecue.


      Oh my God, it's haunted!


      They stared at each other for a few seconds. Jin Li, the sweet girl in a Korean style coat, said with a shiver,


      "Let's- let's go."


      Such a sturdy building demolished without a word. Was it due to a ghost or some other paranormal activity?


      Or was it an illusion? We all imagined it and the building didn't actually exist. No, no. This thought was far more terrifying!


      "Right. Let's get out of here!" Guo Ning, the plump girl, said, trembling.


      Something like this has never happened to me before!


      Seeing that the girls were scared, Li Zhiguo, the tall boy with the bangs, became less timid and more eager to show his masculinity. He looked at Jiang Fei and Guo Ning's boyfriends, saying, "It's so mysterious. Let's go and find out what's going on over there."


      I, I'm scared... Jiang Fei wanted to reply. But in front of the girls, he was too embarrassed to admit that he too was scared, so he stammered, "Come on, Guo Ning and Jin Li are afraid. They certainly don't want to stay. Let's go."


      "Right, right!" Jin Li nodded her head quickly. Guo Ning also tugged on her boyfriend's hand and signaled him not to go.


      "You cowards... I'll go by myself!" Li Zhiguo felt so manly as he boldly walked into the ruins.



      Liu Zhenrong didn't want to be outdone in front of his girlfriend, so he took a deep breath and shouted,


      "Who's a coward? There's nothing to be afraid of!"


      "Don't go!" Guo Ning threw her hands around him while on the verge of tears, but Liu Zhenrong waved her back, saying, "Don't worry. It's OK."


      Seeing the two girls becoming more and more worried, Jiang Fei was filled with dread and made an excuse, saying,


      "Don't be afraid. Don't be afraid. I'm here with you!"


      Jin Li and Guo Ning gave this chubby figure a grateful look. They drew nearer to him to feel more secure and looked across the ruins with curiosity and anxiety, expecting Li Zhiguo and Liu Zhenrong to find something and at the same time hoping that he would find nothing.


      The open field around the ruins was covered with rubble and debris. Li Zhiguo and Liu Zhenrong's legs trembled, but they walked slowly to hide their fear, looking left and right.


      "..." Li Zhiguo stopped abruptly and pointed to a short distance away, saying, "Grilled eggplant!"


      His voice was full of surprise.


      Liu Zhenrong turned his eyes at that direction and saw a broken lunchbox knocked over by large stones. He also saw golden fried peas, a roasted eggplant that still smelled delicious,and red oil that hadn't completely frozen.


      This food seemed like it was made recently!


      Li Zhiguo and Liu Zhenrong glanced at each other. They thought of Jiang Fei's classmate from high school who was wearing very little and the view of his back as he left with a packed grilled eggplant.


      From then till after they had finished eating, the only takeaway was the grilled eggplant!


      "It can't be..." Li Zhiguo and Liu Zhengrong stared blankly at the pile of rubble from the building, wondering if Jiang Fei's high school classmate was buried under them.


      Little Zhao swallowed his saliva with great difficulty, saying, "Ask him."


      "Okay." Li Zhiguo took two steps forward and picked up the food-bag and walked out with the dusty grilled eggplant.


      This time, Jiang Fei was busy enjoying the wonderful feeling of being surrounded and trusted by the girls. He was racking his brain, looking for a better way to comfort the girls, who were frightened of the unknown.


      "Maybe it was demolished through the night?" he said.


      "It's impossible. To demolish a building, one needs to blast it. We're so close, but we heard nothing." Guo Ning disagreed directly.


      Jin Li also shook his head, saying, "Even if they didn't blast it, they had to use large machinery. Where are the traces? It couldn't have happened that fast!"


      Just a barbecue!


      They were getting more afraid as they ruled out a range of possibilities. They came closer to Jiang Fei, who, while enjoying the sensation, trembled with fear.


      "Jiang Fei, Jiang Fei. Look at this." Li Zhiguo and Liu Zhenrong stepped over the collapsed walls, shaking the food-bag in his hand.


      "Grilled eggplant? What happened?" Jiang Fei was completely confused.


      Did the grilled eggplant turn into a human?


      Damn it. It is acceptable for a raw eggplant to turn into a human, but for a grilled eggplant to turn into a human didn't make sense!


      In his reverie, Li Zhiguo said quickly, "It was grilled recently. Look, its oil hasn't solidified."


      "What's wrong?" Jiang Fei asked, looking rather puzzled. Then he suddenly realized, "The only one who ordered the grilled eggplant was Cheng! You mean he has something to do with the collapsed building?"


      "Right, right, right! Did we not hear some noises when we were eating the barbecue? Although they were not very loud, we did hear them! Your classmate must have walked here at that time, at most until the entrance of the alley!" Jin Li remembered his auditory hallucinations and the whole thing suddenly dawned on him.


      Liu Zhenrong urged Jiang Fei, "Call him now. Check on him to see if he is safe. He might be buried under the building. Call the police!"


      "No..." Jiang Fei couldn't figure out the reason why Lou Cheng had deviated into the building that had just been demolished, but he still took out his mobile phone and dialed the telephone.


      A few rings later, the line connected and his familiar voice came through. "Hello, Fatty Jiang? What happened? Why are you suddenly calling?"


      Jiang Fei breathed a sigh of relief and blurted out, "I'm worried about you. After we had barbecue, we saw the building at the entrance of the alley collapse and there was a grilled eggplant there. So we were worried about you and thought that you were hurt."


      Guo Ning and the others listened to their conversation. They were all glad that Jiang Fei's classmate was safe.


      We were wrong...


      On the other side of the line, there was a ten-second silence. Lou Cheng just smiled wryly. "Say sorry to my grilled eggplant for me."


      "Really? It was really you! Are you okay? How did the building fall?" Jiang Fei was startled and Jin Li and Li Zhiguo turned their heads sharply with eyes wide open.


      The grilled eggplant was indeed Jiang Fei's classmate's?


      What happened to him? What happened here?


      "I'm good. Er, the building just collapsed. Well, I have something to do. I have to go," Lou Cheng said evasively.


      The call ended, leaving Jiang Fei looking at the ruins in a daze, Lou Chen's words echoing in his head.


      The building just collapsed, just collapsed, collapsed...


      Does Lou Cheng have some connection with the collapsed building?


      The building just collapsed... Guo Ning, Jin Li, and Li Zhiguo looked at each other in confusion.


      Let alone how the building collapsed, just thinking that nothing stirred when the building collapsed filled them with fear and awe.


      Just like ancient myths and legends!


      Jiang Fei's classmate is such a mystery!


      They thought of what they saw before: the boy in a thin sweater and jacket, his clean and calm look, his retreating back with the packed grilled eggplant.


      Then the memory of the building had become a dark pile of ruins.


      ...


      After hanging up, Lou Cheng remained still for a while, recalling the call with his girlfriend about twenty minutes before.


      "Ah?" Yan Zheke froze for a moment and then asked in bewilderment, "Bring a pair of your pants?"


      "I had a fight with someone. My pants were torn," Lou Cheng answered briefly.


      As soon as he said that, he found the sentence to be full of ambiguities and he added, "Someone set a trap and attacked me. My jeans were too tight for producing force, so they ripped."


      "Are you okay?" Yan Zheke burst out.


      Why had someone trapped Cheng?


      Due to growing up in a peaceful environment, she was completely confused.


      "Not a big deal. Just some minor injuries. I think it's a test, or someone wants to help me experience more life-and-death fights. There must be someone with Physical Invulnerability watching us nearby."


      Only Mighty Ones with the Physical Vulnerability could drown out the sound of a six-story building collapsing. Right?


      If the opponent is a Mighty One with Physical Vulnerability, he would have killed me with one hand tied behind his back, so it can't be a malicious attack, plus my master's words. It's safe to ask Ke to come here.


      Even if it's true, I'm enraged. Damn it, attacked by a killer on my way home without understanding why, anyone would be angry!


      At that time, I thought I was in a life-threatening situation; I was frightened and anxious, afraid of dying in that building and never seeing mom, dad, and Ke again.


      Does the man behind it have any idea how I am feeling?


      Even though they did it with good intentions, it's still unforgivable!


      I'll give you such a "test" later!


      "How can they do this? You have never asked for a test nor life-death fights to accumulate experience. They're so mean, so hateful! Who did it? I'll curse them! I'm asking my grandparents now!" Yan Zheke got really angry.


      "I have told my master. He will take care of this and asked me to step aside." Lou Cheng comforted her.


      "All right... Let it go now, but they have to pay a price for it later. I'm such a mean girl!" Yan Zheke was worried about Lou Cheng, so she did not inquire further and instead asked, " Cheng, are you sure you're OK?"


      "Just some minor injuries." Lou Cheng's clothes were in tatters at the back, revealing somewhat torn flesh and several cuts caused by sharp objects.


      Breaking down the wall was not that simple.


      But it was much better than being hit directly by his opponent; therefore, the cell phone in his shirt pocket was neither broken nor lost.


      "Where are you? I'm coming now." Yan Zheke took a breath.


      Her father was a doctor, so there were lots of gauze and dressings at home.


      ...


      In the temple at the foot of Xiushan, Dong Shaoyang lay flat on his bed, eyes full of frustration and pain.


      I have defeated many strong fighters over the years, but I almost died in the hands of a competition fighter, a fighter at the same rank as me.


      If Zuihuo hadn't helped me, I would have been buried in those ruins.


      It's so humiliating!


      Divine Enchanter of Sin Flame stood beside him, saying in a calm tone,


      "This time, it was a test. Don't look down on the competition fighters..."


      "Ah?" Dong Shaoyang turned his head in bewilderment.


      From the very beginning, they thought he would lose to Lou Cheng?




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     359 Make Preparations
      When he finally realized it, Dong Shaoyang's face turned bright red and his throat rattled as if he were stuck with old phlegm, which made his scalp tingle and his teeth sour.


      With a popping noise, he spat out blood, bleeding on his pillow.


      With the release of Qi, he felt relief in his chest and recovered from the internal injuries caused by Lou Cheng. His head cleared instantly, and he realized that his arrogance and ego had inflated in the last year.


      "I see..." He took a deep breath and said, eyes determined and strong, "I will find the gap and improve myself!"


      Admittedly, Lou Cheng did have a gift for fighting and a quick mind. When he didn't take the advantage of a favorable environment to beat him and instead was forced to compete for endurance with his opponent, he was doomed to fail.


      "Good." Divine Enchanter of Sin Flame nodded slightly, saying, "Unruly commanders and soldiers were not coined by inventing or imagining them. When one has experienced life and death fights, he or she is likely to have an inflated ego. But they should stay alert and well-prepared for incoming fights all the time. It's a lifelong learning process."


      He said so many words in a single breath and then turned to Monk Wenguang, saying, "I brought him back. Shi Jianguo might come to us soon."


      Upon hearing that, Monk Wenguang froze for a moment and turned pale, stammering, "You, you didn't inform Coach Shi before?"


      Testing another master's disciple without asking permission from his master?


      Namo Amitabha Buddha, I almost cursed!


      Divine Enchanter of Sin Flame and Shi Jianguo have physical invulnerability of the same level. Both were evenly matched, and I'm just a tiny Six Pin!


      "No," the Divine Enchanter of Sin Flame said with a straight face, "Shi Jianguo is firm in speech but soft-hearted. He always tells his apprentice to just push the boat with the current and let it be. If I had told him in advance, he would have told me to respect the will of the apprentice himself and so on."


      When referring to Shi Jianguo's firm-in-speech and soft-hearted manner, his stony face seldom gave a smile.


      "Since Coach Shi doesn't agree, then there is no need to test Lou Cheng..." Monk Wenguang had thought that this task was a request from Shi Jianguo, or at least that he had been informed of it.



      Now that he knew the truth, he nearly shed tears.


      "It's true that fighters who emerge from life-and-death struggles cannot look down upon those who participate in the Challenge Tournaments; however, this does not mean that the Challenge Tournaments can temper a fighter to perfection. Without the kind of pressure that arises from life and death circumstances, how can we get a fighter to tap into their full potential and enhance their willpower?" Divine Enchanter of Sin Flame said calmly.


      But it's their own business. It's none of our business! Monk Wenguang almost failed to keep his temper.


      Divine Enchanter of Sin Flame glanced at him and said curtly, "Some things must be planned ahead of time. Both the Dragon King and the Warrior Sage have a chance to go further and step into the forbidden areas, but they are only hopeful and not 100% sure. Of course, we need to sharpen and cultivate more of those who have potential and are friendly to each other. If not, who will compete with the 'apostle' and 'Pharaoh' in the future?"


      Monk Wenguang's face changed and he lowered his voice immediately, saying,


      "Is Elderly Mei's health failing?"


      Dong Shaoyang held his breath with a severe look on his face.


      "Masters in the forbidden area can't have ill health. We're just planning in advance." Divine Enchanter of Sin Flame waved his hand, grabbed Dong Shaoyang, pushed open the door, and drifted away.


      ...


      After checking the address, Yan Zheke took off her housecoat in a hurry and soon got changed. Then she rummaged around the other room for some medicine, gauze, and some bandages and put them into a bag.


      Then she went back to her bedroom, took the other bags, and hurried downstairs, running towards the gate.


      ——After the talk with her mother during their afternoon and evening shopping spree, she decided to throw caution out the window and bought Lou Cheng a shirt, pants, socks, and two new outfits. She was going surprise her boyfriend during the morning exercises; otherwise, she'd have to sneak out dad's old pants.


      After changing her shoes, Yan Zheke said loudly,


      "Mom, Dad, Jingjing is looking for me. I'll be back soon!"


      In the study, Yan Kai leaned out the door, saying,


      "It's late. I'll drive you there."


      Before he could finish speaking, he saw the door close and his daughter was already gone.


      "Why is she in such a rush, what happened?" His daughter was already a Professional Ninth Pin, so he wasn't worried about her, but he said it with much affection.


      Ji Mingyu came closer to her husband, looking at the door suspiciously.


      Hasn't your daughter always been in a rush ever since she was a high school student?


      Well, only when it comes to that boy!


      She arrived at the Old Liu Barbecue by taxi. Following the GPS, she walked into an old neighborhood, finding the familiar figure in a dark corner.


      Seeing his pants ripped wide open, including the crotch area, she turned her head immediately and thought it a little amusing.


      She bit her lip to keep from laughing, saying in a low voice,


      "Very artistic."


      "A performance artist?" Lou Cheng said belittling himself.


      Yan Zheke chuckled and thrust the bags into Lou Cheng's hands, saying, "Good. Get changed now!"


      "Huh, new clothes? It doesn't look like my father-in-law's style. Are there stores still open this late?" Lou Cheng looked at the bags.


      "I bought them for you today. Are you touched and happy?" Seeing that Lou Cheng looked good, Yan Zheke felt relieved and her tone also relaxed.


      "Touched! Happy!" Lou Cheng looked down slightly, eyes smiling.


      Did I go through such a life-threatening situation just for this moment?


      Does my strong will for survival and faith in dangerous situations all come from such moments in daily life?


      He turned, hid behind a tree, and got changed.


      At this point, Yan Zheke exclaimed suddenly, eyes wide open in astonishment,


      "Your back..."


      She thought Lou Cheng's 'cuts and bruises' weren't as severe, so she hadn't urged him to treat them. As her boyfriend turned back, the first thing she saw was the bruises from the torn flesh and several deep cuts.


      As Lou Cheng moved his muscles and stopped himself from bleeding, the injuries did not look as horrible.


      "Not a big deal. Just some scrapes. Tie them up and I will be fine after I get some rest." Lou Cheng comforted her.


      "You liar! These cuts are deep. How can you call them minor injuries?" Yan Zheke said, concerned and a little mad. "Sit down. I'll help you with the wounds."


      She was not mad at Lou Cheng but at that bad guy who launched a surprise attack on her boyfriend!


      No one would like to get involved in life and death fights! We love a peaceful and stable life!


      "Okay." Lou Cheng wasn't in a hurry to change pants in case they got stained with blood.


      He wanted to hide what happened from his dad and mom in case they got worried.


      In the dim light of the streetlights, Yan Zheke grabbed the cotton, dipped it in alcohol with a pair of tongs, and cleaned and sterilized the wounds on his back. Lou Cheng felt a sharp sting of pain.


      Even a master feels pain.


      Looking at the weeds, rubble, and the dull, yellow lights, he listened to the girl nagging and felt her small movements. He felt warm and the pain subdued. Even the wind wasn't blowing as hard and the cold didn't bite as much.


      As Yan Zheke tied him up like a mummy, Lou Cheng hid behind the tree and got changed quickly.


      "I can play Pharaoh," he said jokingly.


      "Luckily I brought enough gauze and bandages," Yan Zheke moaned. "If you had just gone back like that, people would have called the police!"


      "Which is why you came here rather than I go to you." Lou Cheng came from behind the tree with a smile.


      "Remind me to change your bandages every day. Take this bottle of pills. Take them thrice a day, two at a time. They will help you to heal faster. For now, they seem like just some cuts and abrasions, but there might be internal injuries..." Yan Zheke handed the rest of the stuff in the bag to Lou Cheng.


      While hearing her continuous urging, Lou Cheng looked at her with a smile in his eyes.


      Then Yan Zheke asked curiously,


      "Where did you fight? Did you win?"


      After a tough fight between two Six Pins, there must be some obvious traces left.


      Lou Cheng pointed out, not far ahead, saying, "See? Over there."


      Yan Zheke looked up with her mouth wide open, saying in bewilderment,


      "When I passed by during the day, there was a building there..."


      ...


      After two days of treatment, Lou Cheng's skin scabbed over and healed gradually.


      Yan Zheke was right. He did suffer some internal injuries and would take three to four days to heal, but it wouldn't prevent him from having his regular training, though he did he look pale.


      At the same time, the date of honoring their ancestors was coming.


      After negotiations, they decided to leave on that day, not staying over at Qing Fu for it only took half an hour's drive there. If their parents wanted to stay at their relatives' home for a couple of days, he could bring them home any time.


      At 9 o'clock in the morning, Lou Cheng got in a van with his dad and mom, feeling refreshed after the morning exercises. He sat in the back seat with his cousins—Lou Yuanwei and Ma Xi. At the front row were his aunt, Wang Lili, and his parents, while his uncle Lou Zhiqiang sat in the front seat.


      Lou Cheng's uncle, Ma Guoqin, drove the other car with Lou Zhixian, Ma Jiale, and Lou Debang.


      Outside, the air was chilly. Lou Cheng was playing with his phone when the van started and they were off to Qing Fu County of Le Ning.


      It was his ancestral home, but he had no attachment to it and felt like he didn't belong here.




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     360 Ancestral Hall
      Many different scenes were flashing by outside the car's window, but Lou Cheng was not in the mood to enjoy the view. He chatted with Yan Zheke on QQ and browsed the web forums, Weibo, and other apps while listening to the chit-chat between his parents, uncle, and aunt. Occasionally he would jump in and make a comment.


      After the building-demolition fight that night, Lou Cheng discovered that his fighting ability was enhanced. He had better control over his Spirit and had also developed a stronger resistance to fear and stress. Even his skills and judgment during the battle were sharper.


      He was still unhappy about the attack he had experienced, but he was not angry anymore.


      As for the endorsement contract for the martial arts shoes, Wu Qinggui, who was on a business trip, agreed with the alterations to the terms. As soon as he returned, both parties could sign the contract and continue forward with other procedures. Once that was accomplished, Lou Cheng would receive a large amount of money, around 700,000 yuan, in endorsement fees!


      Lou Yuanwei was playing games on his phone, while Ma Xi was enjoying some music. Time passed and the car turned off the high-speed road onto a small country road. After traveling through all the winding lanes and curves, they finally arrived at Liang Tian village.


      "We're almost there," said Lou Zhisheng, reminding his wife, brother, and sister-in-law, who almost fell asleep.


      "Really?" Lou Cheng was looking out of the window curiously. This was his so-called hometown.


      Lou Yuanwei put down his phone, moved closer to the window, and gazed far into the distance. Ma Xi was entirely unaware because she was listening to music and possibly asleep.


      Outside was a two-lane country road with some two or three-storied houses nearby. The house owners had built yards for themselves as well, and some of them had their cars parked within.


      "They can already afford to own cars..." Lou Yuanwei mumbled to himself with complicated emotions.


      Lou Cheng found it funny because he could understand his cousin's feelings. Returning to one's hometown was a great opportunity to show off their superiority. However, his cousin noticed that the villagers here owned their own cars. Even though they were ordinary cars, it was still something his family could not afford yet.


      "The villagers are fairly rich ..." Lou Yuanwei's mother, Wang Lili, said in a similar tone.



      Lou Cheng's father, Lou Zhisheng, laughed and said, "Times have changed. Demand for laborers has reached its peak. Here, anyone with some skills could earn far more than I do, plus they do not pay taxes. But that also means their jobs and social welfare are not secure."


      "Right. I have heard that an unskilled laborers could make a considerable amount of money, let alone a carpenter or bricklayer," said the driver.


      "Not all of them are carpenters. How can they make so much money?" Lou Zhiqiang, Lou Cheng's uncle, spoke out his doubts directly.


      "That is for sure. Think about it, when anyone builds a house or buys a car, it is not a secret from the rest of the village. No one wants to be left behind, nor to be looked down upon. The villagers made every effort to keep up with others." The driver had traveled extensively and seen similar situations elsewhere.


      "I knew it!" said Lou Zhiqiang as he smiled.


      "It is a common practice for villagers to want to keep up with those around them..." Lou Yuanwei tried to reassure himself, but Lou Cheng still noticed his disappointment.


      His cousin was always discontent with his life. He was always thinking about starting a business and getting rich quickly. Therefore, when he was stimulated by his surroundings, he would start to feel uneasy.


      ——Lou Cheng neither supported nor rejected Lou Yuanwei's entrepreneurship so as to avoid his uncle or aunt's complaints.


      They kept moving forward, passing by more trees on both sides of the road as well as more houses all over the place. It seemed that they had arrived at the core area of the village.


      After several turns, the Lou family made it to the ancestral hall, where an old and grey-haired man was standing at the gate.


      "Debang, you came so early, so you didn't encounter a traffic jam." The elderly man greeted them with a smile and spoke to Lou Cheng's grandfather, Lou Debang.


      Lou Debang was also excited and replied, "My brother, you need not welcome us. We had a smooth journey."


      Hearing the word "brother", Lou Cheng was sure he knew who the elder was. He was the cousin of Lou Cheng's grandfather, Lou Deguang, who had summoned the whole family to revise their family records and rebuild the ancestral hall.


      Luckily, Lou Cheng's mother kept nagging about the donation for the family records. Otherwise, Lou Cheng would not have remembered the elder's name.


      "Debang, I am so excited today. It has been such a long time since our last meeting. We should cherish our remaining years!" Lou Deguang was obviously joyful as he held Lou Debang's hand while walking into the ancestral hall, saying, "Now you should burn some joss sticks and present yourself in the hall, then we can deal with the family records. As soon as Zhilin returns, we will have lunch. This afternoon we will go to the mountains and sweep the tombs."


      "Zhilin is so busy. Must he make a special trip home?" asked Lou Debang with astonishment.


      "You are a rare visitor here, how could he not come back? When he was a child, you doted on him and gave him pocket money every time you met." Lou Deguang was in high spirits as he continued saying, "The second son is taking care of most of his businesses, so he has lots of leisure time."


      Lou Cheng followed along and listened to them quietly, as did Lou Yuanwei and Ma Xi.


      Lou Cheng's mom also mentioned Zhilin's story before. Zhilin, the eldest son of Lou Deguang, recruited some of his fellow villagers into a decoration company, and then Zhilin worked on his own and became a successful and well-known businessman.


      Now Zhilin had settled down in the city, but Lou Deguang did not want to live there, making the excuse that he hated to part with his old residence.


      The second son, Lou Zhilin's only child, was Lou Cheng's cousin. Although Lou Cheng's mother had not mentioned his name, he was more successful than his father and had expanded the family business to the city of Lening.


      "The second son is still single?" asked Lou Debang.


      Lou Deguang felt resentful, saying, "Yes. He is not even in a serious relationship. Let us wait and see. If he does not get married in two or three years, I will make him kneel down in the ancestral hall."


      ... When he heard this, Lou Cheng's lips twitched a little bit. Marriage or having a baby was purely a private matter. Lou Deguang overlooked the individual's wishes, forcing the ancestors' desires on the entire family, which reminded Lou Cheng of some awful ancient stories.


      Fortunately, Lou Cheng could not care less. He only listened to sensible people and sensible advice.


      They entered the ancestral hall, worshipped their ancestors represented by the memorial tablets, and then handed over their money for revising the family records. Lou Deguang found a huge piece of red paper and asked Lou Zhisheng to write down the names of their family members. It would be included in the revised family records afterwards.


      Later, the rest of the relatives appeared. They gathered around a square table, chatting and exchanging messages about each other's lives, such as what kind of job their spouses had and the relationship status or studies of their children ...


      Lou Zhiqiang and Wang Lili felt awkward, only saying that Lou Yuanwei was in a work unit with a stable income and previously had a girlfriend but they did not work out. Meanwhile, Qi Fang, Lou Cheng's mom, was extremely excited, retelling the story of how Lou Cheng had passed the exam and got admitted to Songcheng University.


      "My dear Cheng is an undergraduate at Songcheng University ... Haven't heard of it? Do you know the University of Xing Province? Well, Songcheng is way better!"


      "My dear Cheng won the championship at the Youth Tournament ... Haven't heard of it? Well, the award money was nearly 100,000 yuan!"


      The relatives shouted out in surprise. Even the thick-skinned Lou Cheng could not bear such a compliment after noticing that his cousins Lou Yuanwei and Ma Xi were blushing with shame. Then Lou Cheng asked Lou Debang,


      "Grandpa, may I go for a walk? I will be back soon."


      While talking, Lou Cheng got up. Lou Yuanwei and Ma Xi could finally breathe a little. They both followed Lou Cheng and left.


      Stepping out of the hall, they loitered aimlessly and calmed down, enjoying the view of the neighborhood.


      "This is my first time in a village." Ma Xi looked at the river nearby, full of swimming fish, which made this city girl excited.


      Lou Yuanwei was also excited. Everything was fresh here.


      "It's cold, but the river is not frozen solid. Boring." Lou Cheng just took a picture and sent it to Yan Zheke.


      Lou Cheng's maternal grandparents lived in the village, so they must be familiar with such a scene.


      While talking, they passed by a house. There was a middle-aged man practicing martial arts in the yard. His punches caused some noise, loud and clear, and his movements seemed overbearing.


      "Let us move on. He will be offended," urged Lou Cheng, patting Lou Yuanwei and Ma Xi on their shoulders.


      After a moment's silence, Lou Yuanwei lowered his voice and asked, "He was a good fighter, wasn't he? Cheng, can you beat him?"


      You are being so blunt, so I have nothing to hide. Lou Cheng smiled and said,


      "He was obviously a Ninth Pin fighter since his Qi and blood remained affluent."


      Lou Cheng did not explicitly point out who was a better fighter, but their rank spoke for him.


      "Oh, you have defeated a fighter of Seventh Pin, so you must be better!" Lou Yuanwei suddenly understood.


      "Needless to say, my brother," Ma Xi replied.


      At this time, they saw a group of kids raising toy guns, swords, and sticks, playing around. They shouted and quarrelled with excitement.


      When he saw this, Lou Cheng recalled the past, saying, "I remember I had my own sword and sheath made of bamboo, and every time I drew it out, I felt like a hero. However, the sword was left in my maternal grandpa's home and has been lost for years."


      "I do remember. Once, you carried the sword and made a show of it. I begged you to make one for me, but you never did." Lou Yuanwei smiled, "Look, that kid's move was quite presentable."


      He pointed to a sturdy boy holding a toy sword.


      "He is good, isn't he? He is my son," said a man as he came closer. He was the one practicing martial arts in his yard earlier. He had a square face and rough skin.


      Lou Cheng had already noticed him. He said with a smile, "Was that martial skill handed down by your family?"


      "Correct. The Yue family has been huntsmen for generations. This is my youngest son. My eldest one earned the title of Ninth Pin and served as a substitute in the Bat team. Have you heard of the Bat team?" The middle-aged man told them the whole story without reservation.


      "I'm sorry. No." Lou Yuanwei and Ma Xi shook their heads.


      Lou Cheng had heard of the Bat team but did not feel like giving a response.


      Then the man changed the subject and asked, "So, are you here to join the Lou family memorial ceremony?"


      "Yep." Lou Cheng nodded.


      At that moment, they heard the roar of an engine. A black car was out of control, rushing from the corner and about to run into those kids.


      The kids were astounded and could not move. The middle-aged man jumped to his youngest son and took him away. There was not enough time for him to save the other kids.


      The man pressed down with the foot and leaped forward. When he reached his boy, the car's motor roared like thunder. The black car was already very close.


      Having seen the driver's red face and eyes full of panic, the father was outraged and knew he could not make it.


      Damn it! The drunkard had mistook the gas for the brake!


      The father was caught in a hopeless situation. Suddenly, he saw the shadow of a human figure crossing and heard the deep sound of a collision.


      Bang!


      Lou Cheng, using and releasing his Dan force, raised the front of the car off the ground with his bare hands.


      The rear wheels of the black car were still spinning against the ground, bursting with sharp noises and sparks. Nevertheless, the car was unable to move any further.


      Crack!


      The cement ground was cracked where Lou Cheng was standing, and the black car that could no longer move was stuck in the same place.




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     361 Just A Favor
      Bang!


      It was unnaturally quiet. Once Lou Cheng saw the wheels stop spinning, he let go of the car. The damaged car hit the ground hard. The driver, who was above age 30, was shocked and frightened.


      When Lou Cheng was about to step forward and drag the drunkard out so he could beat him, some neighbors rushed over and asked,


      "What happened?"


      "What have you done?"


      "What's going on?"


      At this moment, the kids who were struck dumb with fear, started to cry out. What a mess!


      Mr. Yue, the middle-aged man, finally recovered. After gazing at Lou Cheng from behind for a while, he barely managed to swallow his saliva while trying to concentrate on what really mattered.


      Suddenly, rage filled his heart. He held his kid and shouted loudly,


      "That drunk bastard was driving and almost hit Junfei and his friends! If it was not for that young man, the kids would already be dead!"


      Infuriated, the neighbors began swearing as they rushed toward the black car while the kids were still crying.


      "Damn you!"


      "You bastard!"


      "I want to strangle you!"


      Amid shouts of cursing, the crowd went around Lou Cheng and opened the door of the car, dragging the driver out to the river bank nearby. The driver received a good beating from the crowd.


      "Ah! Help!" The driver gave piteous cries. Lou Cheng's lips twitched as he stepped back, pretending he did not hear the shouts. The drunkard deserved to be punishment.


      Honestly, Lou Cheng was also shocked by the indignant feelings of the public, so he missed his chance to give the driver a bitter lesson.


      As the saying goes, "One cannot afford to incur public wrath".


      "Help ..." The driver was pushed into the river and began choking on a mouthful of water. After he was dragged out, he finally sobered up a little. He started to understand the situation he was in, so he shouted out in a sobbing tone, "Call the police! Now!"



      Again, he was pushed into the river and beaten some more. Due to venting their anger, everyone seemed calm now. Mr. Yue came back to his senses first and tried to stop the other villagers from doing anything that might kill the driver.


      In light of the situation, the driver was beaten by the crowd for a good reason, so the law and the police might overlook them. However, if the case involved the loss of human life, it would be a whole different story.


      The driver rolled himself into a ball and called the police. Then Mr. Yue walked over to Lou Cheng. Seeing the indentation in the surface of the black car and the tire marks on the ground, he was still filled with horror. "Thank you. If you had not stopped him, they would have probably died!"


      "I just wanted to help you out," Lou Cheng replied politely.


      Recalling the young man lifting the car, Mr. Yue had nothing left to say.


      It was as easy as lifting a hand ...


      "You are one hell of a fighter!" Mr. Yue did not know how to praise him. Then he asked, "Would you mind coming to the police station with us as a witness?"


      "Do you need me to go?" Lou Cheng asked in reply.


      Lou Cheng hated going through the processing, and he had to join his family for lunch as well as the tomb-sweeping.


      "Fine. I believe we have enough witnesses." Mr. Yue imitated the tone of an actor from a TV show, saying, "The police will not make things difficult for a fighter who stopped a runaway car. You just stood up and bravely protected their lives. As for that bastard, he is going to jail!"


      "Of course. If you do need me as a witness, call me." Lou Cheng left him his phone number and his name.


      Mr. Yue wrote it down and replied back, "I am Yue Zhong. When we are done in the police office, I will find you in your ancestral hall and thank you personally!"


      "I appreciate your kindness. It's no big deal really." Lou Cheng waved his hand.


      Yue Zhong replied, "Well ... If you would like to try some of the animals and birds we hunt, give me a call. As long as it's not a protected species, I will definitely find it. I promise."


      "Okay." Lou Cheng found it difficult to refuse.


      While gazing at Lou Cheng and his friends going homeward, Mr. Yue touched his kid's head and the fear still lingered. The image of Lou Cheng stomping the ground and lifting the car flashed before his eyes.


      Hell, what did I intend to tell him when I first saw him?


      I was about to say, "Young man, you look pale. You should exercise more often..."


      …


      On their way back to the ancestral hall, Lou Cheng coughed and took out some "Six Life" pills to ease the coughing.


      Ma Xi, who had remained silent since the incident happened, was roused by Lou Cheng's coughing. She stared at her cousin, sighing with all sorts of feelings, and said,


      "Brother, you were like a Gundam, a robot warrior..."


      "Absolutely ..." Lou Yuanwei agreed.


      Most people could not tell how formidable a fighter was by his performance in the fight ring, but what just happened proved Lou Cheng's capabilities!


      …


      As they returned to the ancestral hall, the relatives were busy enjoying their gossip. But their topic had been changed to the story of Lou Cheng's grandfather and his grandfather's generation.


      Lou Cheng, Lou Yuanwei, and Ma Xi sat in a corner and enjoyed their conversation. After a while, they began to talk about the incident and everyone condemned the act of the drunken driver unanimously.


      Since Yue Zhong was in the police office as a witness, the rest of the villagers only knew that there was a young man who helped save the children. But they had no idea who the young man was and how he had successfully saved them, which happened to save Lou Cheng some trouble.


      It was almost time for lunch when Lou Zhilin, driving his Benz and bringing his wife, joined his relatives in the ancestral hall.


      Lou Zhilin, Lou Cheng's father, and his uncle all looked alike. Though Zhilin wore glasses, he was uncouth and fierce-looking. He had built up a family fortune from construction and decoration, so he had to be ruthless to win over his subordinates in such a business.


      "Dear Uncle, at last, we meet. I have been telling my wife and my son that among my elders in the family, you adored me most, even more than my father did." Lou Zhilin was quite enthusiastic, but no one knew whether he meant it or just said it for show.


      Lou Debang was pleasantly surprised with tears flowing from his aged eyes. "You are the eldest son in this branch family. You are the future of the family!"


      After Lou Zhilin met with Lou Zhisheng and Lou Cheng, Lou Deguang asked, "Where is Erzi? Has he not come back?"


      "My dear Uncle, I am so sorry. He and his partners formed a battle team named 'Bat' and the leadership of municipal administration thought highly of it. They have a match today, so they could not make it. He asked me to send his regards to you," said Lou Zhilin, holding Lou Debang's hand.


      "It doesn't matter. Business comes first." Lou Debang did not mind.


      A battle team named Bat ... Lou Cheng held back his laughter.


      Afterward, while sitting with everyone at the table, Lou Zhilin made sure to pay attention to everything. He never ignored those of his generation or his elders, all while still paying ample attention to Lou Cheng and his cousins. He asked Lou Cheng about his studies, showing his high esteem for a college student.


      After lunch, they took a rest. Zhilin accompanied the whole family on a visit to the mountains and swept the tombs of ancestors.


      At 4:30 P.M., Lou Zhisheng, Lou Cheng's father, wanted to call it a day and leave, although the rest of the family urged them to stay repeatedly. Lou Zhilin went with them to the entrance of the village, while Lou Debang and his wife joined them for the drive home.


      The car sped past. Lou Cheng recalled what he had experienced today and found that the only relatives he recognized were Lou Deguang and Uncle Zhilin. The impressions of his other relatives became dim because Lou Cheng had a huge family.


      I really am bad at remembering faces...


      But none of that was important. They were heading to Qingfu County for its famous Tofu banquet. All the dishes were made out of Tofu!


      …


      At 8 o'clock in the evening, a Maserati pulled up in the driveway of the old residence of the Lou family at Liang Tian Village.


      "What took you so long?" asked Lou Deguang at the gate, putting on a stern face.


      The side door of the fancy vehicle opened and a man in casual clothes appeared. He was less than 30, with dense hair, a round face, and regular features.


      "I've got to take care of my business, don't I?" He played with his keys.


      "Your granduncle, Lou Debang, has left already." Lou Deguang pointed out with regret.


      Erzi smiled, saying, "Fine. I am here to ask Uncle Yue for some venison. There is a friend of mine who wants to try some."


      "Everything is a joke to you." Lou Deguang slipped into the house.


      Lou Zhilin smiled by the side. "Erzi, show some respect for your grandpa. Your granduncle is a rare visitor. At least you should pretend to take this seriously."


      "Yes, Sir," said Erzi, half-jokingly.


      When he entered the room, he saw the red envelop on the table, so he asked, "My granduncle made a donation?"


      Did they donate the money for revising their family records?


      "Of course. You granduncle really cares about the family records," said Lou Deguang with an impatient look, smoking his long-stemmed pipe.


      Erzi said nothing. In a quick glance, he noticed three characters, "Lou Yue Qi", written in black ink on the red envelop.


      Lou Debang... Lou Zhisheng... Lou Cheng... Lou Cheng? Erzi raised his head suddenly, with his eyes wide-open, and asked his grandpa,


      "My granduncle and others, are they from Xiushan?"




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     362 New Year“s Coming Again
      "Yeah, I mentioned it to you earlier, remember?" Lou Deguang glared at Erzi.


      "That was too long ago for me to remember..." The poor guy patted his forehead and said in a tone of frustration.


      When Lou Deguang introduced his relatives to him, he didn't listen carefully and thus forgot the names.


      After pausing for several seconds, Erzi asked, "When did fourth grandpa's family leave?"


      "Didn't I tell you? They left a long time ago!" Lou Deguang got a little angry and began smoking a pipe fiercely.


      While Lou Zhilin, Ezri's father, was looking at him in confusion, Erzi paced back and forth and then said, "Grandpa, give me fourth grandpa's phone number and I'll call him to give my regards and offer an apology."


      Lou Deguang was satisfied with his grandson's attitude and smiled again.


      "That's more like it! Well, his phone number is…"


      He was happy to see Erzi starting off on the right foot with his relatives.


      After writing down the number, Erzi called it immediately. After a while, he heard an old man answering in confusion,


      "Hello?"


      "Hello, Fourth Grandpa, this is Erzi." He smiled and introduced himself first so that the old man wouldn't regard him as a swindler.


      "Erzi? Are you home? Why are you calling me?" Lou Debang felt so happy and excited, though he was still slightly confused.


      Erzi said respectfully, "I was too busy to come home on time. So I'm calling to apologize."


      "You needn't apologize to me. Business is more important." Lou Debang was overwhelmed by his unexpected courtesy.


      "I remember I was in my teens when I met you for the first time. After that, I never had the opportunity to meet you again, and I have always regretted that. Fourth grandpa, how about I visit you during the New Year's festival? Will you welcome me?" Erzi said as if he had known Lou Debang for a long time.


      "Okay! Just come here whenever you want!" Lou Debang replied with great joy.


      After chatting for a while, Erzi wished the old man good health and ended the call. Seeing the satisfaction in his grandpa's eyes, he turned to look at his father and said, "Dad, let's visit fourth grandpa's home during the New Year's festival."



      We can't change our attitude overnight and become too enthusiastic towards them. Visiting them as relatives is the best way!


      Lou Debang's grandson, Lou Cheng, was a 19-year-old fighter of Six Pin Dan stage and could be regarded as a local hero. Not to mention the two giant forces that were supporting him, the Ice God Sect and the Wuyue Club.


      "What?" Lou Zhilin was stunned.


      He did not know why his son's attitude had changed so quickly and immensely as if he had been bewitched!


      ...


      In Lou Zhiqiang's living room, Lou Debang put down the cell phone, feeling satisfied with being respected by his relatives. The wrinkles in his face smoothed as he smiled happily.


      "Erzi's good, Erzi's good. He respects us old guys," he murmured and began to talk about Erzi with Lou Cheng's parents.


      Even now, Lou Cheng, who was sitting in the living room, had not heard Erzi's name. Smiling as if he recalled something, he continued chatting with his little fairy through his cellphone.


      "I've finished eating. Now you can send me the photos of the tofu feast!" Yan Zheke said with a "sitting in a cute manner" emoji.


      Her family had dinner a little late today since some relatives were visiting them.


      "Okay." Lou Cheng sent all the dishes made of tofu to her, like tofu ball, crab tofu, tofu and pork, etc.


      "Are these all made of tofu? So rich in variety! They all look delicious." Yan Zheke sent a drooling emoji.


      Lou Cheng snickered. "But my favorite tofu was absent."


      "You Lothario!" Yan Zheke sent an angry emoji.


      "What are you thinking about… I was talking about the crunchy tofu that absorbs soup. It's usually served with shredded radish, vinegar and soy sauce, and you'll never forget its taste once you take a bite of it… tut-tut, am I really such a Lothario? What was going through your mind just now?" Lou Cheng sent an emoji of "pushing up sunglasses".


      "… I, I won't talk to you anymore…!" Yan Zheke replied without an emoji.


      Feeling it hard to keep a serious face in front of the elders after seeing Zheke's reply, Lou Cheng stood up and went to the balcony, where Ma Xi, his youthful cousin, was enjoying the view of the city at night.


      "Xiushan has been developing so fast." Lou Cheng took a glance out of the window and saw many estates, skyscrapers, and the lights of every family.


      "I envy you so much…" Ma Xi sighed to herself, and Lou Cheng could sense the sadness in her tone.


      "Why do you feel depressed about everything from such a young age?" Lou Cheng pretended to chide the girl, smiling.


      Ma Xi was amused by him. "Brother, didn't you go through adolescence? Don't you know that teens at my age are often sentimental?"


      "I wasn't so rebellious or sullen and downtrodden during that period…" Lou Cheng was speechless.


      He had been studying hard in junior and senior high, which resulted in his good grades. In his leisure time, he liked reading and playing games instead of hanging out with his few friends, who were all nice guys and did not like fooling around all day either. So Lou Cheng was never a rebellious or sullen and downtrodden boy.


      As for his unrequited love towards Yan Zheke, he had never expected that it would one day come true and just regarded it as a nice dream.


      "… Are you a robot?" Ma Xi did not know what to say and thus changed the topic. "Brother, I moved to the school dormitory."


      "School dormitory?" Lou Cheng asked in surprise.


      "Yeah, I felt unhappy at home since Dad and Mom both favor Ma Jiale. In school, they would call me occasionally, which was better than how things are now," Ma Xi said like an adult, still looking out of the window.


      "Not bad. Remember the saying? The closer you…" Lou Cheng wanted to show he was knowledgeable but forgot the sentence.


      "The closer you are to someone, the more you'll dislike them. It doesn't suit my situation!" Ma Xi laughed. "Brother, have you started forgetting what you've learned in school?"


      "Well, in spite of the professional knowledge, I've actually gained most of my comprehensive knowledge in the last year of senior high." Lou Cheng felt embarrassed.


      Seeing his sister finally straighten out her thinking, Lou Cheng sighed with relief.


      ~


      Several days passed and Lou Cheng again began training alone. Both Yan Zheke's father and mother, his future parents-in-law, came back home on furlough, and Zheke was now in her grandpa's home in Zhengque County with them. They would stay there until the third day after New Year's Eve.


      Lou Cheng felt a little depressed about it since he had expected Zheke's parents to invite her grandparents and other relatives to Xiushan for the long holidays. Now he had to be separated from Zheke for several days.


      The first day after the New Year's Eve, February 2nd, was Lou Cheng's 20th birthday!


      However, his depression did not last for too long since he received a call from Old Shi and was ordered to go to Wu Yue and light incense in front of the memorial tablet of the founder of his sect. He would do this for the first time as a formal disciple of the sect on the first day after New Year's Eve to show its importance.


      Both Zheke and him were busy these days, and he could do nothing but accept that fact.


      After spending several days in his grandparents', Lou Cheng came back home before New Year's Eve. On the last morning of the lunar year, he was still doing exercises in the chilling wind, feeling that he had broken through the bottleneck of a weak Six Pin and was now an authentic six-pin fighter.


      This time last year, he was still a greenhorn fighting for the rank of Professional Ninth Pin.


      After morning exercise, he went out jogging but suddenly came to a stop. There was a pretty girl in a white coat sitting in the park bench, smiling at him.


      Lou Cheng blinked to make sure it was not a dream, and then shouted excitedly,


      "Ke?"


      Isn't she suppose to be in Zhengque County?


      Yan Zheke stood up and turned her head in another direction.


      "I forgot to give it to you."


      "What?" Lou Cheng said as he rushed to her side.


      "Well, your birthday gift. A custom wallet." Yan Zheke handed him a blue wallet while trying to feign a casual manner.


      Feeling too happy to hide his smile, Lou Cheng grasped her hand as he received the wallet, feeling Ke's hand that had become cold because of the winter wind. "You coming here is the best gift for me."


      Dis-gus-ting… Yan Zheke turned her gaze sideways while complaining with joy in her mind. "Your old wallet has been offending my eyes for a long time!"


      She was hiding her true thoughts with such an excuse.


      Driving the hot current within his body to warm her hands up, Lou Cheng sat down again with her and began reminiscing.


      "I felt so excited when you called me on my birthday last year and sang a birthday song to me. I even wanted to shout on my aunt's balcony!"


      "Hm, did you know how much courage it took me to call you? You dared to force me to sing that song!" Yan Zheke complained with joy in her eyes.


      "Well, you gave me an inch and naturally I wanted to take a yard." Lou Cheng slipped his arm around the girl's waist and gave her a kiss while there was no one around.


      After whispering sweet nothings to one another, Yan Zheke suddenly realized how late it was.


      "I must go back home. I just told them that I was going out to buy something. They wouldn't think I dared travel to Xiushan!"


      She took the earliest train here and had to get back before lunch.


      "Er…" Lou Cheng came up with a good idea. "Let me send you back to Zhengque."


      "Okay." Yan Zheke nodded in joy without hesitation.


      ~


      On New Year's Eve, Lou Cheng, who had just finished traveling back from Zhengque County, was enjoying a happy time at his grandpa's. Every once in a while, he would put his hand inside his pocket to touch the new wallet.


      Lou Cheng had made some big achievements, and Lou Yuanwei had not caused trouble. Therefore, the Lou family, satisfied with this year, was cheerfully waiting for the new year.


      When 12 o'clock was approaching, Lou Cheng received someone's call as he was about to go to the balcony.


      It was the little fairy's call.


      "What a coincident. I was about to call you," Lou Cheng said with excitement as he leaned against the balcony wall.


      "I wouldn't have called you if it wasn't your birthday." Yan Zheke sent a proud emoji. "Let me say happy birthday to you and then I can go to bed!"


      "Anyway, I feel surprised and happy. " Lou Cheng smiled to show his excitement.


      "Haha." Yan Zheke laughed.


      They did not chat for long since firecrackers started exploding violently outside, preventing them from hearing each other. Just like the previous year, they stopped talking so they could use their keen ears and listen to the sound of each other breathing, which kept echoing in their minds


      When the noise winded down, Lou Cheng said calmly and gently,


      "Happy new year."


      "Happy new year~ and happy birthday~"


      "Happy birthday to you, too."


      "Haha, my birthday?"


      "It's my birthday, but naturally you feel happy, too."


      "Okay, okay."


      "Could you sing a song to me again?"


      "Which song do you want? Birthday song?"


      "Sing I'll Marry You Tomorrow. "


      "No way!"


      "Please."


      "…Just one sentence, one!"


      …


      The new year arrived with fireworks filling the sky brilliantly and magnificently.




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     363 Internal Explosion Punch
      It was dark until late in the morning after the New Year's Eve. After exercising and eating the longevity noodles cooked by his mother, Lou Cheng left home early with his backpack and a bottle of original-proof spirits. He was still humming the tune of "You'll Marry Me Today".


      Only after he got on the bullet train to the airport did he have time to browse through the web pages while replying Yan Zheke's message.


      The moment he logged into the forum, Lou Cheng saw the top post from his girlfriend.


      Yan Zheke had made a post yesterday night.


      "Happy new year to everyone. Here's wishing everyone good luck!"


      "The same to you!" Brahman was the first to reply with a jumping emoji.


      Wonton Seller said under the ID Glutinous Rice Dumpling, "May everyone be happy in the new year. I hope that I can pass the college entrance exam smoothly. I'm looking forward to the internet pals meet-up this summer vacation."


      "So sad that I failed to reply in time. Both my hands were occupied by snacks just now!" Eternal Nightfall Yan Xiaoling knew in advance that Yan Zheke would make a post, but he still missed it. "Well, I'll just rewind the tape and may all of you a happy new year. Happy birthday to Lou Cheng!"


      "Haha, we can't say 'a 19-year-old fighter of Sixth Pin' anymore, for he is now a 20-year-old fighter." Unparalleled Dragon King laughed.


      "I'm really late, so I just want to wish you good health and spirits! Give birth to a baby soon!" Okamoto's Fan said in his funny style.


      …


      Enjoying their jokes and best wishes, Lou Cheng felt like he was like the morning sky outside, gradually becoming brightener and warmed by the sun.


      Wherever he was, there was a group of guys supporting him even if he didn't know who they were in reality. What a strange but great feeling.


      He arrived at Shanggao Airport in Wuyue Province at noon, safe and sound. Then he saw Shi Yuejian in the hall.


      Shi Yuejian was wearing a pair of black-framed glasses. She raised her hand and talked to him from a long distance. Though her voice was soft, Lou Cheng could hear it clearly.


      "Why did you bring your master wine again?"



      "I'm afraid that I won't get access to his house without the wine," Lou Cheng said jokingly.


      Shi Yuejian could not say anything but shook her head. "You should keep an eye on him and control his drinking."


      Lou Cheng put on a wry smile. "Senior Sister, do you think Master will listen to me?"


      "Repeat the warning frequently enough and he will finally get bored and thus follow it." Shi Yuejian smiled while sharing with Lou Cheng some of her experiences.


      "That's his special attitude towards his daughter, but I'll end up receiving a good beating," Lou Cheng said with self-deprecation.


      "Okay, I know you're in a difficult position." Shi Yuejian smiled and turned to lead Lou Cheng to the parking lot, finding her car there.


      Geezer Shi, who was sitting in the back seat, immediately stretched his head out of the window, eyes lit with expectation. "You are a naughty boy, but you're becoming more and more considerate. Come here, come to your master."


      "Dad, stop drinking so much. You've been coughing violently and frequently these days!" Shi Yuejian kept grumbling.


      "Okay, okay, just one sip, one sip." Geezer Shi rubbed his temples and gave in to his daughter.


      After they got on the bus, Shi Yuejian introduced the driver, a man in his thirties, to Lou Cheng, "My husband, Wu Huikang."


      "Nice to meet you." Lou Cheng greeted him with a smile.


      Shi Yuejian's husband was not a disciple of the Ice God Sect but a professional manager. He had also learned some kung fu and reached Dan stage several years ago, and now he was managing a part of the Ice God Sect's properties for Geezer Shi.


      Wu Huikang was a tall and elegant man with short hair. As he started the car, he chatted with Lou Cheng happily. "Hello, Junior Brother. For the past half year, your senior has been praising you, saying you're talented and promising. I envy you so much."


      "I'm just telling the truth!" Shi Yuejian protested.


      "Aren't you afraid of spoiling your junior brother?" Geezer Shi echoed his son-in-law. "He will soon feel too proud of himself and will begin making trouble if you don't warn him frequently."


      He paused and turned his gaze to Lou Cheng. "I've gotten you compensation for the previous affair. A simplified Internal Explosion Punch of the Fire Sect for physical-invulnerability fighters. I'll give it to you later. Besides, I'm going to teach you another three movements of the Ice Sect, which are North Wind, Polar Region, and Frost Coldness."


      "Okay." Lou Cheng pulled himself together.


      Geezer Shi took a glance at him and continued, "I would have asked for more than that, for example, the complete Explosion Punch. But your martial arts base is not stable enough, so acquiring too much might ruin you. Well, your master is well-known for killing countless Dan-stage or even Inhuman fighters with Thunder Roar Zen on the battlefield, but what are you doing now? Do you still remember the last time when you used the Thunder Roar Zen? That's all because you haven't perfected it thoroughly!"


      "Yes, Master." Lou Cheng also realized the mistake he had made.


      He almost abandoned his greatest kung fu in order to acquire less important ones.


      Shi Yuejian was listening to them carefully from the copilot's seat. Only at this moment did she add, "Internal Explosion Punch? Junior Brother, you should be careful and avoid using it while training with someone. The key movements of the Fire Sect are all fierce and violent, which are totally different from our Ice Sect movements. Once you use Internal Explosion, your opponent will get badly injured even if he or she is at the level of Inhuman. Just three punches are enough to kill them."


      While saying this, she smiled. "When you reach the Inhuman stage, you can learn how to use a blade from me since the Ice Sect's blade art is also famous."


      "Why must he learn to use a blade? It's not convenient to carry a long knife wherever you go, and a knife is easily broken in competition. The most powerful part of a fighter is his fist, his physical body." Geezer Shi sneered.


      Only now did Lou Cheng realize that his elder sister's nickname was Black and White Magic Blade!


      While they were chatting and laughing, the car drove out of the city and finally arrived at the Ice God Sect after taking the road around Yanbing Mountain.


      There were more people in the sect than Lou Cheng had seen last time, which made it more like a sect instead of a lonely yard. Of course, all of these people would leave here in two or three days.


      When they entered the sect, all the disciples that passed by them would stop to greet Geezer Shi with great respect. While some of them called Geezer Shi "Junior Uncle", some even called him "Grandmaster" with an expression of worship.


      — The amazing performance of Geezer Shi last time in creating a snowstorm had been spread by the elders and disciples, and thus Geezer Shi became an immortal in most disciples' minds.


      Geezer Shi coughed to clear his throat while strutting in front of these disciples, feeling satisfied with their attitude.


      Lou Cheng didn't speak a word since he could barely keep the smile off of his face.


      The older his master was, the more childlike he was.


      When they arrived at Bingshen Palace, they found Sect Master He Yi waiting there with a group of elders and direct descendants.


      "Hello, Grandmaster!"


      "Hello, Seventh Junior Uncle!"


      "Hello, Junior Master."


      Zhu Tai and Lei Fang's greetings were also mixed with the others' greetings. Lou Cheng was already familiar with them.


      After lighting incense in front of the sect founder's memorial tablet with Geezer Shi, Lou Cheng went for dinner in Xuefeng Palace with the others. Mo Jingting, who was wearing a plain suit today, approached him and whispered,


      "Junior Master, your competition with Peng Leyun stunned Senior Brother Zhu and Junior Brother Lei. They admire you very much, and we have been discussing the National University Martial Arts Competition this April. Peng Leyun of Shang Qing, Ren Li of Longtong, Ann Chaoyang and Zhen Huansheng of Xinghai and you, the Junior Master of the Wuyue Club and the Ice God Sect, these are the most popular fighters this year."


      "Just think about it, the five talented Six-Pin fighters are all younger than 22 years old, and there might even be a future Inhuman-stage warrior among them… I'm afraid that this will be the most attention-grabbing competition except for the Top Professional Competition and the five title matches."


      Lou Cheng also began looking forward to the coming competition upon hearing Mo Jingting's words. He felt his blood roaring within his body.


      In April, he would meet the representatives of different great forces. Peng Leyun, Ren Li, Ann Chaoyang, Zhen Huansheng, and Li Xiaoyuan — he would fight against them one by one for the championship!


      "They're even betting with each other and spent quite much money on it," Mo Jingting added.


      "It sounds like you've also joined them." Lou Cheng gave up on asking who was the favorite amongst them since he would also bet on Peng Leyun or Ren Li if he were in the audience.


      "How could I dare to join them? Peng Leyun and Ren Li are monsters like you. Us normal people are unable to make a prediction," Mo Jingting said with a smile, "But I still bet 100,000 on you, my Junior Master, since supporting relatives is more important than being rational."


      "More important than being rational? It sounds like it's irrational for me to win." Lou Cheng smiled.


      "… " Mo Jingting was speechless for a moment and then put on a smile. "You are so funny. I haven't seen this side of you before."


      "Well, if you treated me like a real junior brother instead of trying to pursue me, I would naturally be funny," Lou Cheng replied casually with both hands in his pocket.


      After another period of silence, Mo Jingting sighed with emotion.


      "Junior Master, are you really a 19-year-old young man?"


      "I'm 20 now, thank you!" After replying, Lou Cheng began thinking about the National University Martial Arts Competition this April.


      Who would be the champion among all the young heroes?


      Though he was looking forward to the competition, Lou Cheng didn't forget that his martial arts root was still unstable and that there were many movements that he hadn't mastered yet. He needed to keep practicing and making progress before fighting against Peng Leyun.


      …


      When Lou Cheng was lighting incense and paying respects to the sect founder, the Lou family was also welcoming someone.


      Unlike many other cities, visiting relatives on the first day after new year's eve was permitted in Lening, so Lou Zhilin and his second son soon came to Xiushan to visit Lou Cheng's family.


      Lou Debang was overjoyed. He called Lou Zhisheng and Lou Zhixian's family back to enjoy a good meal together.


      The moment the second son entered the house, he began looking around in search of Lou Cheng but was unsuccessful. Thinking that it was strange, he asked the others, "All of our generations should have the character Yuan in our name, but there were only a few people nowadays who attach importance to it."


      "Yeah, you are Yuanchang and he is Yuanwei. You both have Yuan in your names." Lou Debang smiled. "But we didn't name Cheng according to the rule."


      "So Cheng should've been named Lou Yuancheng?" Lou Yuanwei continued leading the topic.


      Ma Xi added, "No, Lou Yuanba suits him better."


      Taking the opportunity since everyone was amused by Ma Xi, Lou Yuanchang asked, "Cheng? He's not here?"


      "He went to Wuyue to visit his master and pay respects to the founder of the sect," Qi Fang declared proudly.


      He had gone to Wuyue… Lou Yuanchang looked at his father, feeling depressed.


      …


      After lunch, Geezer Shi found Lou Cheng and asked him with a smile,


      "Your senior master wants to know if you are free to do a task."


      "What task?" Lou Cheng asked carefully.


      "Visiting the Haixi Sect, the Dinghai Sect, and the Hanchi Sect on behalf of the Ice God Sect." Geezer Shi kept smiling kindly.




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     364 Disappointmen
      Lou Cheng was stunned at Geezer Shi's odd smile.


      "What am I supposed to do? Challenge them?"


      "What are you thinking about?" Geezer Shi said gruffly. "Haixi, Dinghai, and Hanchi all have their own physical-invulnerability warriors. And you are just a Sixth-Pin fighter, no, not even Sixth Pin yet. Why do you think you can challenge them? Are you going to court death?"


      Lou Cheng carefully chose his words and said,


      "I mean challenging the younger disciples."


      Geezer Shi gave him a "you're overthinking" look and explained, "Now that you are being compared with Peng Leyun and Ren Li, do you think that you've surpassed all the young disciples in the Wuyue Club? The youngest Inhuman fighter here is 25 years old. That's a good five years older than you! Apart from meeting you during competitions, why would they challenge you normally? Don't you think they would feel embarrassed? Even Peng Leyun would be defeated in such situations."


      "As for the young Sixth-Pin fighters except for you, the youngest is already 23 years old. Though he began learning martial arts earlier than you, you are actually likely to defeat him. So he won't feel proud if you lose to him while fighting and learning from each other, but he would be disgraced if he were defeated by you. Are they stupid enough to do this?"


      "You're also not arrogant enough to challenge those boys, right?"


      "Sounds reasonable." Lou Cheng nodded. "So what's Senior Master's intention in asking me to visit those sects? It's not just to say 'happy new year,' right?"


      Geezer Shi laughed. "Of course not. Just think about it, since you are one of the most talented fighters among the younger generation, comparable with Peng Leyun and Ren Li, all the other sects will respect you when you visit them, right? And all the girls and boys there will admire us!"


      "So Senior Master just wants to show me off in front of the other sects?" Lou Cheng finally understood it. "Then what shall I do if there are some aggressive young disciples challenging me?"


      "Are you afraid of them?" Geezer Shi stared at him.


      "Of course not!" Lou Cheng smiled. After thinking for a while, he asked Geezer Shi, "But what do you mean by that odd smile?"


      The smile was actually kind and gentle!



      This unusual smile made him worry that something terrible was waiting for him!


      "I always smile like this!" Geezer Shi denied everything.


      Lou Cheng still looked at him with great suspicion.


      Geezer Shi sighed while turning the flagon upside down to let the remaining drops of wine flow into his throat.


      "I just think that those sects may think that you are showing off in front of them and thus will no longer have a good impression of you. When you want to join the top competitions for the Wuyue Club in the future, you might be marginalized by the other team members, and Longhu or Shushan Study are likely to be your next choice"


      "So you just want to force me out!" Lou Cheng didn't know whether to laugh or cry.


      "Well, you should go out and see the world!" Geezer Shi cooked up an excuse to change the topic back. "Yes or no?"


      "Okay, I want to see the King of Spear and Clown in person," Lou Cheng said with expectation.


      "While Gu Jianxi seldom joins in the fun, Huang Ke is a man of few words. It's so boring to meet them." Geezer Shi refuted what Lou Cheng said. "That's it, I'll tell your senior master and you can go tomorrow morning and visit them one by one."


      "Okay." After Lou Cheng finished talking, he went out of Xuefeng Palace and saw Mo Jingting waiting for them.


      "Junior Master, let's go to KTV tonight. Senior Brother Zhu and Junior Brother Lei will both be there to celebrate your birthday. Do you want to listen to my voice in its full glory?" Mo Jingting smiled happily.


      "Well, probably another day. I've got something important to do tonight," Lou Cheng replied.


      "Something important?" Mo Jingting began considering his words. "Okay, let's go there another day."


      The so-called important thing was to spend his birthday night with the one most important to him. After eating his Senior Sister's cake, he began learning the 12th movement of the Ice Sect, "North Wind", the 17th movement, "Polar Ground", and the 28th movement, "Frost Freeze". As for the simplified physical invulnerability, the Fire Sect's "Internal Explosion", Geezer Shi did not bring it with him this time since they were in the Ice God Sect and it might not be proper for them to practice another sect's kung fu.


      After finishing all this, Lou Cheng gave his mom, Qi Fang, a call and then began spending his birthday with Yan Zheke through video chat.


      The girl was wearing a bear-shaped outfit with freshly washed hair. Her hair was black and shiny, setting off her flushed cheeks. She looked so precious.


      There was a small cake in front of her with two candles. The candle flames glimmered and swayed softly, accompanying the sunset.


      After hearing Ke's birthday song, Lou Cheng laughed. "The sign of a 20th birthday is great. Look, a pair of candles to represent each decade and to represent us."


      As a tradition in Xiushan, one candle represented ten years.


      Yan Zheke smiled. "So what about your 30th birthday?"


      Three candles would look like three incense sticks used for prayers.


      She hurriedly withdrew the words as soon as they came out of her mouth. "Take no offense at a child's babble. We can use two candles to represent three and zero!"


      "When you said it earlier, I didn't realize what you were talking about. I was thinking why do three candles look bad? Doesn't it just represent a family of three?" Lou Cheng chuckled.


      A family of three… Yan Zheke turned her gaze aside to hide her emotions. "Come on, make a wish and I'll blow out the candles. You said I could share your birthday!"


      "Make a wish… " Lou Cheng began murmuring something seriously with eyes closed.


      First, may my beloved ones stay healthy and have a trouble-free life.


      Second, may my martial arts road stay open and let me go further!


      Third, I hope that Ke and I will be in love forever and be together for an entire lifetime.


      From now on, I'll repeat the three wishes on every year's birthday. Not to move the heavens, but as a reminder to myself that I must cherish my loved ones and keep my dreams in my heart.


      "I'm done." Lou Cheng smiled after opening his eyes.


      "What was it?" Yan Zheke asked curiously.


      "Same as you. Didn't you say that if we speak of them, they would not come true?" Lou Cheng continued smiling.


      "Petty!" Yan Zheke complained about joy in her face. Then she blew out the two candles and began eating the cream with a small spoon. "Cheng, happy birthday. I'll eat your part of cake for you~!"


      "Be careful, do you want to gain weight?" Lou Cheng teased her.


      "Hmph, so what?" Yan Zheke made a face.


      "I'd like to see you gain some weight. I'll feel more comfortable when holding you." Lou Cheng chuckled mischievously.


      "Pervert!" Yan Zheke yelled.


      Before Lou Cheng could defend himself, the girl looked around and then asked in curiosity and hesitation, "Cheng, I have a question for you, and don't make fun of me."


      "What question? I promise that I won't tease you!" Lou Cheng tried hard to control his facial expression.


      "Well, well, well, when you have a physiological need, what do you do in the bathroom? Take a cold bath to calm yourself down or… " Yan Zheke stuttered with a flushing face.


      Dirty Tong had always mentioned things like this, so she was curious!


      Lou Cheng could barely keep the smile off of his face. Pretending that he did not know what Ke meant, he asked, "Or what?"


      "That, that, that, you know… " Yan Zheke made up her mind and blurted out, "That handjob that you boys are always talking about!"


      Seeing Lou Cheng's facial expression, she immediately turned away, her flushing face.


      "I won't talk to you!"


      "Well, I'd say both. Sometimes I take a cold bath, and sometimes I… " Lou Cheng replied with a grin.


      Yan Zheke was silent for a few seconds and then gnashed her teeth in anger. "What are you laughing about?"


      "I'm not laughing, I just think that we should eventually talk about such things as boyfriend and girlfriend. That's fine." Lou Cheng was still smiling.


      Since it was his little fairy that started the topic, he would seize the opportunity and seduce the girl step by step!


      "Hmph!" Yan Zheke again turned her gaze aside, still flushing.


      …


      The next morning, Lou Cheng got into the car provided by the Ice God Sect after exercising and arrived at the Haixi Sect.


      Haixi Sect was located near the Mingsheng Lake of Moshang with beautiful scenery and high land price. When Lou Cheng walked into the sect, he saw lots of young disciples glancing surreptitiously at him, looking at him from head to toe. He could sense the complex emotions in their eyes, like inferiority, depression, admiration, anger, and envy.


      After three steps, he reached Haichao Palace and was taken inside by the disciple waiting there.


      "Dear Master Huang and Master Chen, I'm Lou Cheng from the Ice God Sect… " Lou Cheng gave them a salute before raising his head to take a careful look at them. Then he began wishing them a happy new year.


      Chen Bailing, the sect master of Haixi Sect, replied with a smile,


      "Martial Nephew Lou, you are very well-known and I've been hearing a lot about you."


      Only at this moment did Lou Cheng raise his head and see Chen Bailing in an ancient Chinese suit. The old master seemed similar with Geezer Shi, and the color of his sparse hair was a mixture of white and yellow. The one standing near him was Spear King Huang Ke, who looked like a man in his thirties with a broad forehead and deep eyes. His gaze sent chills down Lou Cheng's spine.


      "You speak too highly of me." Lou Cheng handed over the congratulatory message.


      Chen Bailing took the letter and smiled while touching it. "I thought that Old He might ask you to visit us this year and I guessed right. It's a good thing since you also need some stimulation from outside, something other than inner practice as a warrior."


      While saying this, he turned his gaze to the other young disciples, like Zheng Yu and Qian Qiyue, as if telling them, "You see, the challenger has arrived. Can you be as hard-working as him and try to catch up?"


      Zheng Yu, Qian Qiyue, and the other disciples nodded and clenched their fists tightly in response.


      "Damn it, this Elder is being too frank. How should I respond?" Lou Cheng could do nothing but put up a silly-looking smile.


      "You're right, master."


      "Will the disciples of the Haixi Sect be stimulated by Elder Chen's words and thus come out to challenge him?" He was a little worried.


      After chatting a while, Chen Bailing asked Zheng Yu to visit the Ice God Sect this afternoon and then picked up the teacup as a suggestion that it was time for Lou Cheng to leave.


      When he turned to go outside, Lou Cheng noticed that Qian Qiyue and the other disciples were eager to challenge him, but they managed to hold back their feelings and did not step out.


      After coming out of the palace, Lou Cheng sighed in the winter sunshine as he felt a little disappointed.


      He had never expected the young generation of the Haixi Sect to lack the courage to come out and challenge him…




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     365 Girls Always Favor Their Boyfriends
      Next, Lou Cheng went to the Dinghai Sect and then to the Hanchi Sect. Unexpectedly, he did not see the "clown" Gu Jianxi. But the younger generation was slightly weaker than the Haixi Sect and, therefore, no one impulsively came out to challenge them.


      Upon returning to the Smokey Iceberg, he reported the whole story to Uncle Master He Yi.


      "The young people in their sects are very calm." He Yi shook his head and said with a smile, "That is also a good thing. Your sudden catfish effect has muddled our Wuyue Club and encouraged everyone to put out greater effort."


      His meaning was that Zheng Yu, Lei Fang, Qian Qiyue, and the others had originally joined the Sect when they were about 10 years old. Their contemporaries witnessed their growth and had long been accustomed to backwardness. They were gradually becoming prouder, until Lou Cheng appeared unexpectedly and smashed into the scene. Their inherent perception was suddenly broken, which aroused all sorts of emotions in the disciples.


      "Uh, Master Uncle actually knows about the catfish effect..." Lou Cheng was silently judging, but said nothing about it and instead bade farewell, followed the Master downhill, and returned to the villa of Shi Yuejian.


      After arriving there, Geezer Shi dug up a visualized diagram, on which was a red, abnormal, heavy sun. After just catching a glimpse of it, Lou Cheng felt the hot current of his body, which represented the Power of Blaze running, being adsorbed, and being compressed!


      "Internal Explosion is more difficult to practice than Severe Warning. First, visualize this Red Sun Diagram, then control it with the Zhu Rong Diagram. When shooting, there is a combination of the power skills... You must be very careful when you practice. An explosion in your body is no laughing matter..." the old man rarely explained in much detail. "When you fully grasp it, I will teach you the 10th and 11th parts of the Ice Sect, two simplified physical invulnerability methods. Of course, I guess that will be in the second half of the year."


      "Good!" Lou Cheng gladly took the Red Sun Diagram.


      When he saw that, Geezer Shi laughed loudly. "Don't be so cautious. Whether it's lost or ruined, it will all be on them this time!"


      "I'm not such a stingy person..." Lou Cheng said, with his mouth twitching a bit.


      Venting anger on things is so boring!



      Because they had to go home to celebrate New Year's Eve, Mo Jingting, Zhu Tai, and Lei Fang did not try to see him again. On January third of the lunar calendar, Lou Cheng bade farewell to Master's family and embarked on the journey back to Xiushan.


      The next day after he arrived home, Yan Zheke and her parents flew to Jiangnan Province and went to the Ji family for a reunion.


      ...


      The family was gathering together for a reunion banquet in the ancestral home of the Ji family in the Jiangnan Province.


      Deeply loved by her elders, who constantly inquired about her well-being, Yan Zheke looked at her grandfather, Ji Jianzhang, and grandmother, Dou Ning, and ventured to make a brave gesture.


      "Grandpa, someone from our Martial Arts Club has learned to use the tactics of Swordsman, Army, and Forwarding of the Nine Words Formula."


      She wanted to start the topic this way and gradually lead up to the relevant contents of the Nine Words Formula of Shushan Study. The reason she said it in full view of the public was so she could appear calm, acting like she had just said it by chance, so as not to arouse the suspicion of the elders.


      After she spoke, she felt her grandmother's chopsticks stop moving. Her grandmother looked up at her with a faint smile.


      It makes me a little anxious!


      Ji Jianzhang had thick and dark hair. Except for some white spots on his temples, he looked thin and unconventional. Upon hearing her words, he smiled and said, "I know. Lou Cheng."


      "Pff!" Yan Zheke almost choked on her saliva.


      Grandpa knows about Cheng!


      Am I making it awkward?


      When she saw that she had lost her composure, she acted surprised. "Grandpa, have you been following our matches?"


      As she spoke, she found that the smile of Empress Dowager appeared grander and full of gloating. And her cousin next to her, Lin Que, slightly tilted the corners of his mouth.


      Well, Brother, didn't you agree to remain indifferent and silent?


      How dare you laugh at me!


      Seeing the blank and confused looks of Yan Kai, Ji Lingxi, and others, Ji Jianzhang shook his head with a smile. "That young fellow has recently become very famous. When I returned to the sect, there was always someone nagging in my ear, saying that he was a genius who could compete with Peng Leyun. And since you and your brother are both in the matches, I take a look at them from time to time."


      Shushan Study headquarters was in Jiazhou. As a native of the Jiangnan Province, Ji Jianzhang had been sent there decades ago to guard the East Foundation.


      "Phew...!" As she slowly started to feel relieved, Yan Zheke heard grandmother Dou Ning ask with a smile, "I hear Lou Cheng's name from time to time. You three are all from the Songcheng University Martial Arts Club. How do you feel about him?"


      Dou Ning looked only 40 years old. She had her hair tied in a bun, looked graceful, and her facial features were somewhat similar to Ji Mingyu's and Yan Zheke's. But when she looked around, her stature was really electric, exhibiting the posture of a Mighty One.


      "Grandma, why do you ask that?" Yan Zheke tried to be cute, blinking her eyes.


      How am I supposed to answer that? It will be very embarrassing if I praise him too much!


      Since Yan Zheke was a child, she had moved back and forth between Jiangnan and Xiushan, and there were several northerners in the family. Thus, she got confused about addressing her elders, which was no longer the combination of maternal grandfather/maternal grandmother and paternal grandmother/paternal grandfather, but maternal grandfather/paternal grandmother. By the time she was old enough to go to school, she had gotten used to it and was now too lazy to change it.


      "I'm just asking. Is it not easy to answer? Tell it like it is." Dou Ning was in high spirits and said with great interest, "You two, Lin Que and Keke, tell me."


      She looked at Lin Que and Yan Zheke and did not include Ji Lingxi and Ji Deyan.


      Once again she felt the gloating gaze of her mother and the interested look from her father, Yan Kai. Yan Zheke looked up and tried to make her eyes less tender and sweet. She said with a chuckle, "He is a very talented and hard-working man. Um, a very nice guy."


      Extremely nice...


      At that moment, Lin Que spoke and attracted everyone's curious gazes to himself.


      "Very skilled, very powerful."


      He said it succinctly, which only made the people at the family banquet more curious about Lou Cheng.


      Since when does our Ice Prince praise other fighters at his level?


      Yan Zheke listened with gratitude and pride—proud that her cousin had such a high opinion of Cheng and grateful for his help in distracting their relatives' attention.


      "Yes, having such a teammate around is a good thing—like Dragon King and Warrior Sage—encouraging each other and chasing each other and, hence, making their current achievements." Ji Jianzhang nodded with satisfaction. "Que, over the past year, you have benefitted from this and made faster progress than I expected, and now you nearly have the power of Seventh Pin. The genetic mutation of the root pulp has also shown signs. Train carefully, but do not be agitated. Going slowly does not mean that you can't go far."


      When he saw Liu Que's slight nod, he turned to look at his most beloved granddaughter.


      "Keke, why are you talking about Lou Cheng?"


      "Pff...!" Yan Zheke almost choked again. She hurriedly replied in a tender voice, "Grandfather, I did not mention Lou Cheng! My focal point is on the Nine Words Formula, the Nine Words Formula! Hasn't the Shushan Study collected lots of things related to the Nine Words Formula? How come nobody has ever succeeded?"


      Ji Jianzhang rubbed the wine glass in his hand and said with a sigh, "From the flourishing era of the Nine Words Formula until now, there have been too many wars. Many books and other things were seriously damaged, and those Nine Words Formula diagrams inside the Faction have lost their soul and charm. Only the ancient sound and seal are more complete."


      "What a pity." Yan Zheke sighed from the bottom of her heart.


      "Yes. But, well, we will not feel inferior to the ancients. The predecessors were able to create the Nine Words Formula, so why can't we restore them? Our faction has been groping for generations, trying to infer the meaning of the words according to the secret—the secret and the content of the ancient books." Ji Jianzhang's tone was flat, but it contained some lofty ambition.


      With everyone's curious eyes on her, Yan Zheke asked solicitously, "Then... have they gotten any results?"


      "I'm not quite sure about that, because I'm not in charge." Ji Jianzhang said with a laugh, "It seems that we lack the crucial thing."


      "Grandpa, can I take a look at the notes?" Yan Zheke asked tentatively.


      Ji Jianzhang thought for a moment, then said, "If there hasn't been much progress, there is no harm in showing you. But if it were close to success, you could only look at the notes of the predecessors. Oh, maybe a good idea will strike you. You might score a lucky hit and then come up with something, right?"


      "Right!" Yan Zheke replied happily.


      If you were able to see it for yourself, then it was not classified. It was fine as long as you did not show it to others.


      If I showed it to Cheng, would that be called exposing secrets?


      Maybe Cheng really could realize something, so I can also make a contribution to the Faction!


      Soaked in emotional excitement, she glanced at her mother, Ji Mingyu, who showed a "dislike" for her "daughter's favor of her boyfriend".




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     366 The End of Winter Vacation Part One
      On the eighth day of the Lunar New Year, Lou Cheng happily made another change in his exercise location and came to Back Water Lake.


      Ke had returned from the Jiangnan Province yesterday!


      Not long after he sent her a message, he saw her jogging out of the villa estate in the early morning mist. She was wearing a white martial arts suit and her hair was in a ponytail.


      When their eyes met, they were full of warmth.


      They jogged, with him following behind her. Both did not speak as they turned into a side road, approaching their familiar spot.


      Lou Cheng gradually quickened his steps and soon they were side by side. He inhaled that fragrance that put his mind at peace.


      When they arrived at their regular spot, Yan Zheke raised her chin and shook the bag in her hand with bright eyes. "Cheng, I want to show you something!"


      "No rush." Lou Cheng chuckled. It was still dark and no one was around. He pulled the girl over and embraced her in his arms.


      "You..." Yan Zheke's eyes widened and her faint protest was suppressed in her mouth.


      She finally pushed Lou Cheng after some time and twirled her messy hair. "I'm talking business! Business!"


      "This is an even more important business." Lou Cheng grinned.


      "Hmph!" Yan Zheke pouted and turned her head, happiness buoying her. She handed him the bag. "H-Here, it's for you!"


      "Is it something to do with the Nine Words Formula?" Lou Cheng asked, having made his speculations earlier.


      "Yes. My grandfather made a call to Shushan Study and had someone deliver this to Jiangnan." Yan Zheke wore an expression that said to praise to her quickly.


      She had not mentioned that she would receive it so quickly just so that she could give her boyfriend a surprise.


      "Coach Yan, you're so nice!" Lou Cheng was truly delighted, but most of that feeling came from being touched rather than surprise.


      He opened the bag and took a look inside. He found not only the Nine Words Formula diagrams, which had lost their soul and charm, but also handprints and other secrets. Inside were also several generations of Shushan Study masters backtracking words and relevant notes, each with its own charm and characteristics. Of course, since these were allowed to be given to Yan Zheke, they were definitely incorrect practices.



      It would be very difficult for others to distinguish between the false practices to gain something useful out of them. For Lou Cheng, it was a piece of a cake. He could just verify them with his Jindan!


      "See? It's business, isn't it?" Chin raised, Yan Zheke pouted.


      "You're right, but I also said that earlier was a more important business. Don't put the cart before the horse!" Lou Cheng deliberately raised his eyebrows.


      "You are becoming naughtier!" Yan Zheke said with faux anger, but in her eyes was an unconcealable happiness.


      After finishing his routine exercising step by step, Lou Cheng glanced at the girl who was doing her Meteor Force practice seriously. He took out a stack of notes from the bag and carefully studied them, trying to visualize. He was trying to accomplish this through trial and error.


      "Confrontation!" His hands gripped. He outlined the 19 different Confrontation formulae written by Shushan Study predecessors in his mind.


      He did not complete the visualization on purpose. That was not something that could be done in just a few days. He was just grabbing the gist of it to see if it would resonate with his Jindan.


      The Lin character was gradually disclosed, one after another. The nebula around his lower abdomen was still running slowly. Nothing changed.


      By the time Lou Cheng excluded the thick notes of the Confrontation Formula and the Fighting Formula, it was already close to eight. He stopped visualizing. Yan Zheke had finished exercising as well. They left the Back Water Lake from another direction to have breakfast.


      "Cheng, don't be too anxious. There's no rush to return them. Keep it until my grandfather asks for them." Yan Zheke comforted him at the villa area.


      She had noticed earlier how hard Lou Cheng had been trying. She was worried his impatience and anxiety would lead him astray.


      Lou Cheng made a joke and said, "Don't worry. I'm fated with the Nine Words Formula."


      Back at home, he continued his trial after a hot shower. He excluded the Wholeness Formula, the Formation Formula, and the Dequeuing Formula this time.


      Though he did not gain much, he was not disappointed. With the mistakes made by the Shushan Study predecessors, as well as the lessons they had learned, he could deduce the rest himself with his knowledge and find the charm. However, that could take several years or even much longer.


      Taking out the last stack of notes, he cleared his mind and once again became engrossed in his trial.


      "Attainment!"


      "Attainment!"


      "Attainment!"


      The ancient tone came from his lips and the handprint gradually became more familiar to him. When Lou Cheng tried the Attainment Formula already deduced by Wu Zan, the recent master of Shushan Study, the bright nebula inside his body accelerated its rotation and rippled as it shook.


      The ice crystal and Great Sun merged within the water ripples, forming hundreds of blurry ancient characters. They were surrounded by a large Attainment character, rotating as fast as the wind!


      Got it! Lou Cheng's heart leaped with joy. He suppressed his excitement and tried to recall the charm of Attainment of the Jindan in his mind over and over. He then wrote down the hundreds of ancient characters one by one in his little notebook.


      The Attainment Formula could be used for the external practice of his legs to enhance speed. It was a natural fit for the North Wind footwork he had recently learned!


      Nice! He had learned four of the Nine Words Formula. He was nearly halfway there!


      …


      The next morning, at Back Water Lake.


      "How did your practice go? Any comprehension?" Yan Zheke asked casually.


      Lou Cheng cleared his throat and formed the handprint. His abdomen twitched with peristalsis and his vocal cords vibrated. He exhaled.


      "Attainment!"


      He was already running before his voice even vanished, tearing through the airflow at a high speed and stirring a thunder in the silence!


      Yan Zheke was taken aback that he had already learned the Attainment Formula.


      She had just given him the information yesterday!


      And that was just a summary of mistakes, not even a specific practice method!


      Yan Zheke stared in astonishment. Her rosy lips opened little by little, almost forming an O-shape.


      This time, Coach Yan also experienced the same treatment as Coach Shi...


      "I only figured out the Attainment Formula. Not sure when I will complete the rest. Years, I suppose," Lou Cheng said modestly, smiling.


      Yan Zheke snapped into focus and said, with a mix of confusion and lament, "You are truly destined with the Nine Words Formula..."


      She really wanted to give Cheng a bite and see if he was really a human!


      Lou Cheng coughed once when he noticed her expression as she ground her teeth. "I will try writing down the charm of the Attainment Formula afterward so that you can also practice it. You can also take it back to Shushan Study as a way of accomplishing your duty. Um, if it works, I want to exchange this formula for my master's approval of me teaching you the Swordsman formula. That will benefit your body greatly…"


      As she listened to his chatter, brightness replaced the surprise in her eyes.


      "Okay..." she replied with a smile.


      She did not want to bite him this time, just kiss him...


      Over the next few days, Lou Cheng wrote the word 'Attainment' over and over using the ink, writing brush, and high quality paper he had bought. He tried to put to words that feeling of being as fast as the wind.


      He failed again and again, wasting stacks of paper. However, right before the end of the winter vacation, he finally comprehended the true meaning and method. He wrote them down while visualizing the character.


      With every stroke of his brush, the word 'Attainment' gradually came to form. A wind suddenly rose in the room, blowing the wasted paper nearby.


      Lou Cheng put away the brush and gazed at the paper. An "Attainment" full of ancient sense appeared as if it was made of wind!


      His own understanding was still not good enough. Perhaps he had only understood one-tenth of the true formula, but it was enough as an entry-level for Ke to master the formula... Deep in thought, he took a look at the calendar.


      The relaxing winter vacation was coming to an end, with only two days left.


      But he still had one more thing to do.


      ...


      The next afternoon, with the help of Director Xing Chengwu, Lou Cheng went to the prison 100 kilometers away and met Wang Xu in the reception hall.


      Wang Xu was wearing a drab prison uniform, and he had recently-shaved hair. With shallow scars on his cheeks, he appeared rather emotional.


      Lou Cheng spoke first. "How are you? Are you okay?"


      "Not bad. Director Xing spoke to the prison supervisors, so they have been taking care of me. No one bullies me here," Wang Xu answered gratefully. He had seen how those bullies took care of other inmates.


      Speaking of this, Wang Xu recalled the past things and smiled bitterly. "I really regret not listening to you then. If I had left Le and the others, maybe I would have a home and a wife now."


      "Just behave well here. Who knows, you might be released before I graduate from college. You will still be young then, the world is your oyster," Lou Cheng comforted him.


      "Yeah." Wang Xu took a breath and nodded.


      They did not share much in common, so Lou Cheng brought up things happening in the estate and then planned to leave. Before parting, he asked with concern,


      "You look pale and the circles around your eyes are really dark. Are you ill?"


      "No. I have just been sleeping poorly. I keep recalling what happened that day and keep having nightmares." The horror of that time still remained in Wang Xu's eyes. "I can sleep well with sleeping pills. I can't do without them."


      Lou Cheng thought for a while and then turned to look at the caretaker officer.


      "Do you have any ink, paper, and pen? Just ink and paper will do too."


      The police officer notified by the caretaker did not refuse. He said enthusiastically, "I will send someone to get those for you."


      "What do you want to write?" Wang Xu asked in puzzlement.


      "A talisman for you," Lou Cheng replied half-jokingly.


      "Talisman..." Wang Xu was increasingly puzzled.


      A moment later, another police officer brought the ink and paper here.


      Lou Cheng expanded the white paper and stretched his palm and fingers. He stained them with ink and closed his eyes, outlining the ancient characters that suppressed negative emotions in his mind.


      He used his finger as a brush and drew the ancient character 'Forwarding' on the paper in front of Wang Xu. The character appeared vividly, like a dragon dancing.


      "Hang it in your cell and look at it for five minutes before bedtime." Lou Cheng wiped his finger with the rest of the paper.


      "Can it help?" Though the character made him feel at ease, Wang Xu always found these Taoist things hard to believe.


      "There's no harm in trying." Lou Cheng smiled.


      "That's true." Wang Xu nodded indifferently.


      At night, Wang Xu hung the character by his bed and carefully looked at it for 10 minutes before falling asleep.


      The next morning, when the first ray of light entered his prison cell, he opened his eyes and woke up naturally. He felt completely refreshed.


      It was not a dream! Wang Xu sat up in astonishment. He stared at the ink character on the bedside in surprise, finding it mysterious and powerful!




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     367 Our One-year Anniversary Part Two
      On the 13th day of the first lunar month, Lou Cheng bade farewell to his parents and once again went back to school carrying his luggage. He walked into the high-speed rail station of Xiushan.


      Wu Qingui sent the 700,000 yuan endorsement payment to him yesterday and also planned to send him the martial arts shoes, which were specially designed for him, in March so that Lou Cheng could try them before the designers made the final adjustments.


      The moment Lou Cheng received the endorsement payment, he went to the bank and transferred 150,000 Yuan to his mother for renovations without telling her. His mother was shocked and she thought that something had gone wrong with the banking system because she suddenly received such a large amount of money; she even almost called the police. After Lou Cheng told her on the phone, she understood the whole thing, so she scolded her son a little bit with joy and surprise. She no longer pretended to refuse the money but spread Lou Cheng's filial actions on to the whole estate. Once again, he became a real "good boy" in others' eyes. All of the young men in this estate had no way to get rid of Lou Cheng's great influence.


      "Hey, what a coincidence ~!" In front of the ticket gate, Yan Zheke pretended to meet Lou Cheng by chance and patted his shoulder with a sweet smile while dragging her luggage.


      "What a coincidence! You're also going to Songcheng!" Lou Cheng acted exaggeratedly while smoothly taking the luggage from the girl's hand, then he grabbed her waist.


      "Your acting skills are poor!" Yan Zheke looked up and commented to him.


      Without the need to worry about the existence of parents, these two people were like two wild horses, feeling free and happy.


      After having their tickets checked, they got on the high-speed train. Lou Cheng put the baggage on the baggage holder above and then sat next to the girl. He then asked her casually,


      "How is your practice of Attainment Formula and Swordsman Formula going?"


      He had asked his master on the phone and had gotten his permission to exchange the Attainment Formula with the Swordsman Formula. Geezer Shi also suggested that it did not matter at all to teach "Lou Cheng's wife" more... By this way, he could pay those men back, for they had asked Lou Cheng to suffer an ordeal without telling him first.


      "I have a little bit of feeling for it now." Yan Zheke looked at Lou Cheng and asked jokingly, "Are you trying to get a sense of superiority from deprecating me? To show off the fact that you have mastered the formula in only one day?"



      She had not told her grandfather and grandmother about the Attainment Formula yet because she planned to tell them before the National Games for fear that this turn of events would scare them.


      Some people really were amazing and could not be regarded as normal people!


      At the same time, she also looked forward to one thing, which was that her cousin could also learn the Attainment Formula, because it was Cheng's compensation to Shushan Study. So if he mixed the speed of Meteor Blast with the Attainment Formula, what kind of changes would happen?


      "No, I'm not showing off. Coach Yan, I'm just showing my concern for you. I'll never show off in front of you!" Lou Cheng replied to her with a smile.


      It was at that moment that Yan Zheke let out a "Hmph", looked sideways, and said with emotion,


      "The National Games will be held this semester. I'm looking forward to it, but I also feel so nervous..."


      "So do I. But I am looking forward to tonight. It's Valentine's Day and it's our first anniversary. Oh, what gift will you give to me?" Lou Cheng laughed.


      In fact, Songcheng University would officially open on Monday, February 17th. But both of them had lied about this in order to celebrate Valentine's Day and their first anniversary together. So they went back to Songcheng in advance.


      Of course, it should not be regarded as a lie. Preparing for the upcoming National Games in the school was a fair excuse!


      "I didn't prepare a gift for you!" Yan Zheke glanced at Lou Cheng, but suddenly she laughed. "Could my period be seen as a gift? Cheng, I think that you have predestination with my menstruation. I'm always menstruating whenever we go out."


      "I have nothing to do with this. Last month, you had your period on the 17th. And because its cycle is 26 days and there are 31 days in January, your menstruation will definitely be around today." Lou Cheng threw up his hand helplessly and looked forward to the future. "Next year, you won't have your period."


      "So what?!" Yan Zheke puffed out her cheeks and moved her body closer to lean on Lou Cheng. She gave one of her earphones to him and invited him to listen to songs and surf the internet with her.


      At about seven o'clock in the evening, they arrived at Songcheng. Instead of going back to the campus, they went to a five-star hotel which Lou Cheng had booked before.


      Outside the window, it was dark with colorful neon lights shining. Inside the room, it was as warm as a spring day. While Yan Zheke wasn't watching, Lou Cheng called the telephone in their room and pretended that it was a call from the receptionist.


      "There's one more thing to take care of. I need to go downstairs," he said to Yan Zheke after he picked up the phone and talked for a while.


      Yan Zheke did not suspect him at all. She answered him in a light tone while looking for her pajamas. "Okay, get back quickly."


      "Okay." Lou Cheng walked out of the room and was ready to buy flowers!


      After walking out of the hotel, in order to save time, he found many children on the street who were wandering around selling flowers and bought a bunch of roses from them without even asking the price.


      Then he wrote a message to the girl and sent her an e-mail.


      After Yan Zheke took a bath, she put on some comfortable pajamas and wore slippers without socks. When she went back to the bed, she picked up the phone.


      "Please check your email!" Lou Cheng said in his message.


      "My email?" Yan Zheke was confused but also began to expect some surprises. She quickly opened the Mailbox APP on her phone and found a video from her boyfriend.


      After downloading the video, she changed her posture and leaned against the bed more comfortably. She then played it. Even though the video was shaking for a moment, she still saw Lou Cheng in the video.


      "From now on, every Valentine's Day will become our anniversary day. I'm afraid that you will be losing a holiday." Facing the camera, Lou Cheng smiled shyly.


      "As long as you know it..." Yan Zheke answered him silently in her heart.


      Lou Cheng cleared his throat and looked straight at her.


      "On Valentine's Day this year and on our first anniversary, I want to tell you a story about a boy, about a boy that pursues a girl.


      "There was a boy who held an unrequited love for a beautiful and kind girl in his highschool. He regarded her as his goddess, but back then, he was still slightly self-abased and dared not to pursue her or to give it a try, because he thought he wasn't good enough to be her boyfriend and he wouldn't have any chance.


      "However, because of fate, they were admitted to the same university. The longing that shouted in his heart made him want to do something."


      Yan Zheke quietly listened to his words and gradually let out a smile. She knew what story Lou Cheng was about to tell.


      "How will he tell me the next part of the story?" She had some expectations.


      "That day, he saw the girl wearing traditional Chinese clothes in red and white. Standing in front of the martial arts arena, the boy was once again stunned by her beauty. He was encouraged by the theory of fate and finally found the courage to talk to her. In order to make himself feel less nervous, he specifically ran in a big circle around the campus. He was breathing so heavily that it made his blushed face and stammer seem insignificant." In the video, Lou Cheng recalled these memories with a blushed face.


      "I don't even know the story behind... " Yan Zheke opened her mouth slightly, feeling surprised and pleased.


      While recalling the scene at that time and listening to the story behind it, she could not help but scold him in a low voice.


      "Dumb Cheng!"


      How dumb was he? He even ran around the campus!


      At that moment, a beautiful melody began and the background of the video changed. A photo appeared and occupied the whole screen. It was of a gorgeous girl wearing a suit of traditional Chinese clothes who stood in front of the martial arts arena.


      "Oh... " Yan Zheke stretched out her hand and covered her mouth.


      How does Cheng have a photo of me from that time?


      Didn't he say that he was too nervous to take a photo of me secretly?


      "The girl was friendly and her personality was even better than what the boy had imagined. These two people had a good conversation. He even became cheeky and asked her for her QQ number. Then his dreamy and unbelievable life began.


      "He restrained his desire and dared to talk to the girl for only a few minutes every time for fear that she would get annoyed and feel herself being entangled. As time passed, they became more and more familiar with each other and their chatting time also became longer. He was surprised to find that the girl actually was very cute..."


      While the background music was still playing, emojis jumped out one by one. There was a Dodge emoji, a "well-behaved sitting" emoji, an emoji with both hands crossed holding the chin... Watching those emojis, Yan Yan almost laughed out loud.


      "He made a fairly good video..." she thought happily.


      "When it came to her birthday, the boy did not dare to do too many things for her, because he was afraid that his enthusiasm would scare his fairy. So, holding much desire but also feeling nervous, the boy went to Yanling City to participate in the Warrior Sage Candidate Challenge Tournament.


      "During this Challenge Tournament, he found more common ground with the girl and let her enter into his life. It was also at this Challenge Tournament that he heard the first cheers for him since he began to learn martial arts. The cheering sounds came from the girl."


      The man in the video stopped telling the story while an abnormally familiar, soft sound of a girl suddenly played in the video.


      "Lou Cheng! Lou Cheng! Lou Cheng, come on!"


      "This... " Yan Zheke once again covered her mouth and was surprised to look to the other side.


      Cheng still kept the voice message I sent to him at that time?


      "The fact that the first cheers for him were from the girl he had a crush on made the boy filled with power and courage. He defeated several mighty opponents and then advanced to the group competition. This time, the girl sang a cheering song for him after he begged her several times."


      While the background music was playing, the same clear voice from before hummed a passionate song.


      "Continue to run, with the pride of youth,


      "Life's brilliance cannot be seen unless we persevere,


      "Rather than to live mediocrely, why not burn with passion?"


      "He kept all of those messages... " Yan Zheke let out a sigh and was moved to tears.


      "All these memories are worth being remembered throughout the boy's life. He keeps all the voice messages, all the chat logs, all the happy moments he spent with the girl, and hides these things in different places. He wants to sit on a rocking chair and recall all these memories together with the girl when they are old."


      Later, many photos appeared on the screen and a lot of screenshots of their previous chats floated out. While hearing Lou Cheng's narration, Yan Zheke also began to recall the past, the happy moments that they spent together this year.


      On New Year's Eve, both of them held their cell phones and quietly listened to each other's breathing while waiting for the coming of the new year...


      In the early hours of his birthday, the girl called and sang a celebration song for him...


      On Valentine's Day, shining by the moon, one sentence of the girl saying, "At first let me feel happy for five minutes," was exchanged for a video about amazing fireworks which was sent by the boy.


      He also shared details about how he checked those places before their first date and his complex feelings he had on that first date, which was that he was too nervous to hold the girl's hand. Furthermore, the first time that they held each other's hand, both of them were so nervous that they lost their direction and wandered aimlessly...


      He then told her the great effort he made for their first kiss, the passionate and amazing kiss they had beside the lake...


      The contradiction and misunderstanding caused by his keen desire and passion...


      The feelings they had as if they were a longtime couple when they got up early in the morning...


      The solemn moment they spent when they sent each other a ring, and the fun they had when he first called the girl "my wife"...


      While recalling the past, Yan Zheke was about to cry. She seemed to be drunk and had lost herself in her mind. She felt like she was once again lying on Lou Cheng's bed and bathing in the sunshine while he was taking off her clothes piece by piece. She again experienced all the memorable moments when he had moved her. Those moments were too many to be present in this video.


      You are so dumb. How can you only remember what I've done for you and forget what you've done for me!?


      "... And again it's Valentine's Day. I want to give you this story. I hope the boy and the girl in this story can have new stories every year so that I can tell their stories to you every year like today," Lou Cheng said in a low voice. Yan Zheke listened to his voice carefully and was deeply touched by what he said.


      Yan Zheke saved this video because she wanted to record their memories just like Lou Cheng had done.


      At that moment, she pursed her lips and smiled with tears remaining in her eyes while sending Lou Cheng an audio recording that she had prepared previously.


      …


      Outside the door, Lou Cheng took the flowers and counted the time in his heart because he intended to give Yan Zheke the flowers when Yan Zheke was watching the most touching moment of the video.


      His cell phone suddenly rang at that moment, and he found a message from Yan Zheke.


      "What?" Lou Cheng was confused but also had some expectations while holding the phone to his ear.


      "Cheng, I've been thinking all the time about what kind of gift I can give you on Valentine's Day. Finally, I decided to give you an answer as a gift." Lou Cheng heard the soft and low voice of Yan Zheke.


      "Do you remember the last Valentine's Day? You told me that you liked Yan Zheke, you liked Yan Zheke very much. I was not only very happy but also quite frightened. I also felt very panicked because I hoped that you could wait for me until I liked you as much as you liked me and until I could gradually make some changes to allow another person to enter my life.


      "I remember a lot of things you have done, but I don't quite remember a lot of the words that I have said. I don't know whether I have answered you before or not. Anyway, now I want to tell you formally.


      "Cheng, I like you. I really like you. I like you very much."


      While her voice was gentle and full of emotions, Lou Cheng's heart was hit by her open and honest mind.


      "Cheng, I like you, I like you very much... " The corners of his mouth were lifted and he opened the door with his room card while holding the flowers.


      …


      The flowers were scattered on the floor. Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke lay on the bed and cuddled each other.


      Yan Zheke seemed to think of something suddenly. She nimbly moved her right foot upward so that it was resting on Lou Cheng's legs.


      "What are you doing?" Lou Cheng asked, shocked by her sudden movement.


      Yan Zheke pulled herself backward. She seemed to be scared of Lou Cheng's penis, but she also felt very curious about it, so she touched it with her toes.


      "It's strange. It's so soft and is totally different from before!"


      Instead of using her hands, she felt less scared of it and less awkward because she thought touching it with her toe let her keep a safe distance from it.


      "... " At that moment, Lou Cheng felt speechless, so he only watched the girl touch his sensitive part with her toes.


      "It will be much funnier if it keeps being soft... " Yan Zheke said with her face blushing as she seemed to feel more relaxed. However, before she finished her words, she was very surprised to see that his sensitive part stuck out bit by bit. She could not help crying out.


      "You need to handle this!" Lou Cheng looked into her eyes as there was a flame burning in his eyes.


      "How, how can I handle this... " Yan Zheke was slightly stammering, but she still looked like she had made mental preparations for this.


      "Help, help me... " Lou Cheng did not say it directly, he only pulled the girl's hand on his sensitive part.


      "Hey, why are you only putting two fingers on it? Are you trying to take food...


      "In this way, like this... "


      After a while, thanks to Lou Cheng's specific instructions and guidance, Yan Zheke finally mastered the basic skills. She was too shy to look at it, so she turned to the other side and was shocked by its frightening size.


      After a long time, she gradually dared to look straight at it. She asked him quite curiously with her shy and bright eyes,


      "Cheng, why do boys call this 'jerkingoff?'"


      "Don't, don't stop. I'll tell you later... " Even before he finished his words, Lou Cheng let out a sigh with satisfaction and then he said timidly, "Do you understand now?"


      "You are a pervert!" Yan Zheke got off the bed and rushed into the bathroom.


      …


      After spending a good night with Yan Zheke, Lou Cheng tried so hard to amuse her and make her stop being angry. They then came back to the new school campus of Songcheng University and saw Lin Que, Li Mao, Cai Zongming, and other members.


      At the first special training session of the semester, they stood in a circle and covered each other's hands while shouting in unison,


      "The National Games!"




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     368 Let“s Fight! Part Three
      "The National Games!"


      After the members of the Martial Arts Club shouted their cheer, Shu Rui asked the cameraman to stop recording. She then stood in front of the team and bent slightly over while smiling with emotion.


      "Thank you sincerely for your care and cooperation over the past few months. For more than 40 days, we have to say goodbye to each other. Our team wishes you to make a great achievement in the National Games!"


      Shu Rui was a gorgeous and reliable beauty. Neither did she behave very frigidly nor arrogantly. From early September until now, she always came to the martial arts club to film the daily lives of the team members except for holidays, so the members were getting more familiar with her and had developed a good relationship with her team. Therefore, when they heard what she said, all of them expressed their dismay and sad emotions.


      With such an atmosphere, the first special training session of this semester started. Everyone in the martial arts club tried their best and worked hard to prepare for the National Games.


      As the training was about to end, Lou Cheng laughed and, while seeing that Shu Rui was interviewing his teammates one by one, said to Yan Zheke,


      "Suddenly, I have many expectations for the show they'll put on."


      The moment Yan Zheke saw his smile, she recalled the scene that happened last night, so she could not help but turn away and purse her lips to give a snort of anger.


      I've tried so hard to find the courage to become more proactive and to take the initiative to satisfy your desires, but how dare you, how dare...


      She was too embarrassed to think about it.


      "What's wrong?" Lou Cheng blurted out. But he immediately realized where her anger came from; he then wanted to slap his own face.


      He could not afford to mention the pot that doesn't boil!


      "I just, just feel that I'm not pure anymore!" Yan Zheke actually was not angry, she just was too shy. After she settled down, she changed her attitude and decided to let this thing go. She looked down at her tiptoe and answered Lou Cheng in a slightly "plaintive" mood.


      When she returned to her dormitory this morning to put back her luggage, she was too embarrassed to look directly into Dirty Tong's eyes when he was talking with her.



      "I think that a girl who has already been married or who has had a love relationship with her boyfriend for more than a year can't be that pure," Lou Cheng said with a smile.


      Yes, we have been in a relationship for more than a year, to put it more specifically, it's one year and one day!


      Yan Zheke turned back and glared at him. When she saw that Shu Rui was approaching her, she changed the topic as soon as she could. "Cheng, didn't you say that you were too nervous to take a picture of me the first time you approached me? How did my picture appear in that video last night?"


      "When I was making the video, I thought that it would be a pity for me to miss that picture. However, I also couldn't tell you in advance so that you could wear the traditional Chinese clothes and let me take another picture of you. I thought it over and over again and suddenly I realized that my fairy was so beautiful that someone else must have taken it. Therefore, I went to ask the people I knew one by one, and finally, I got that picture from our previous club manager, Chen Changhua," Lou Cheng explained in detail.


      Yan Zheke suddenly understood. "Oh, I see. At that time, Senior Brother Chen had asked me to pose for a picture because he wanted to save it among the other Martial Arts Club activities."


      Her eyebrows gradually stretched and she was about to laugh out loud because she once again felt Lou Cheng's deep love for her.


      After last night, she felt that she seemed to be more intimate with Cheng.


      She had even touched such a private body part of his, so it seemed that secrets between them also became fewer.


      At that moment, Shu Rui came toward them and began to interview Yan Zheke, mainly to ask her about the preparations for the National Games that she had made during the vacation.


      Lou Cheng moved two steps back to stand beside Little Ming and did not intend to interrupt her interview.


      Cai Zongming moved as if he was Hercules and said excitedly, "Cheng, I think that I'm about to achieve the Professional Ninth Pin!"


      Lou Cheng looked him up and down, then he nodded with a light smile.


      "Not bad."


      "Ah, why do you f**king show such an expression in your eyes and in your tone?" Cai Zongming glanced at him annoyedly.


      "I only showed my care to you from my eyes and tone." Lou Cheng laughed. He would not say that what he did was just like what a fighter of the Professional Sixth Pin would do to a fighter of the Professional Ninth Pin.


      "To show your care to an idiot?" Cai Zongming answered him gruffly.


      "That's what you said, I never said it." Lou Cheng replied to him "innocently".


      "Talker" actually was speechless at that moment!


      Cai Zongming hurled out these two words when he found he was trapped by Lou Cheng.


      "Get lost!"


      When he saw that Lou Cheng was trying hard to stop laughing, he decided to change the topic, so he said,


      "Ah, you came back to our dormitory in a rush this morning, so you must have done something bad last night. Both Qiang and Old Qiu are deeply stimulated by you."


      What he did on Valentine's Day caused double hurt to those two single men!


      "It can't be that you took the bullet train back to school at night?" Lou Cheng asked him with a smile.


      "Of course it can. But I still need to remind you as a predecessor, you should at first be well-prepared for sex whether there is a chance for you or not. Because when you are surprised to find that a girl has agreed to have sex with you, you then will be kicked out to look all around for a drugstore, supermarket, or a vending machine... " Cai Zongming recalled an embarrassing scene in the past which happened like that.


      Lou Cheng's lips twitched and he said,


      "Casanova, I think that you can write a book about your funny experience."


      "The encyclopedia of how to hurt single people?" Cai Zongming took a glance at Lou Cheng.


      As they were talking like it was crosstalk, Shu Run finished her interview with Yan Zheke and stood in front of Lin Que. She at first laughed out loud before she said, "I come to interview you again."


      "Yes." Lin Que still wore an emotionless expression on his face.


      Shu Rui bent over toward him slightly before she smiled very gently and said,


      "Looking forward to learning from you."


      …


      Time flew by. They worked so hard during such a dull and repetitive period. In a flash, April 2nd arrived. Furthermore, the final round of the National University Martial Arts Competitions would be officially held on April 5th!


      At the school bus station of Songcheng University, Lou Cheng pulled Yan Zheke by one hand and dragged her suitcase by the other hand while carrying his own luggage on his back. They were the first two people who stood in front of the bus that was going to be driven to the airport.


      A minute later, Lin Que arrived. He wore a dark shirt and loose, dark jeans while dragging a bright yellow suitcase with his left hand.


      "Oh, my God... " Watching this scene, Lou Cheng opened his mouth for he felt very shocked, and he turned around to ask his girlfriend, "Why does your brother, your brother, have such a cute suitcase?"


      You can't judge a book by its cover!


      Is it because my brother-in-law has the heart of a young girl?


      Yan Zheke covered her mouth with her hand and laughed. "My brother is very casual in this aspect. He uses whatever what my aunt buys for him. He isn't picky at all. That suitcase actually belongs to my aunt... "


      "Well, okay then." Lou Cheng showed his remorse for the misunderstanding. He then saw Cai Zongming walking toward the bus with a handsome posture, and he found that Li Mao was behind Cai Zongming carrying a super bag that was higher than his head.


      Then Sun Jian was wearing a pair of sunglasses and was holdinga couple of pieces of luggage. He showed up together with Lin Hua, who was wearing a plain, white dress.


      Furthermore, He Zi took off her round glasses and her long hair had been cut. She had a short haircut like a man, which made her look cool and beautiful. Yan Xiaoling stood beside her and repeatedly reminded her,


      "He Zi, I'm depending on you this time. You must be sure that you'll send me the freshest news about the matches as soon as you can!"


      The team members who would go to the capital were: the three leading players, six bench fighters, and two students who would take care of chores named Li Xiaowen and Jiang Fusheng. The other students had to stay at school, including Yan Xiaoling and Mu Jinnian.


      …


      At Shanbei University's school bus station—


      Xu Wanning talked about some funny things with Fang Zhirong. He found that this younger brother was easy to get along with as long as he was not angry or irritated, except that he liked to prank others.


      After a long time, all the bench fighters also arrived and stood around these two people.


      "Well, let's get on the bus and go to the airport!" Xu Wannian waved his hand.


      The substitute of the leading player, Mao Chengjun, was confused, so he looked around before he asked,


      "Aren't we missing one member?"


      The most important one!


      Xu Wannian replied with a big smile while pointing to the bus,


      "Brother Peng has already arrived!"


      All the people followed his finger and took a look at where he was pointing. They saw that Peng Leyun was sitting by the bus window and his back was against the seat with a lost expression in his eyes. Nobody knew what he was thinking at that moment.


      "Let's go!" Xu Wannian got on the bus first.


      …


      At Huahai University—


      Xing Jingjing put away her luggage and got on the bus. She saw that Piao Yuan, who was bald and looked very violent and strong, was holding a cellphone to take a selfie while Zhang Dongliang, who looked like an old farmer and had a round shape, was chatting and laughing with several bench fighters.


      She then turned left and saw Ann Chaoyang with half-length hair, who was wearing professional-grade headphones and listening to music quietly. He closed his eyes and sat against the seat leisurely.


      Xing Jingjing walked directly to the last row and chose a seat by the window without greeting anyone else. Her seat was far away from the others.


      …


      In Guangnan city—


      Because Li Xiaoyuan had a good figure and looked very handsome, he attracted many people's attention by just standing there.


      "That junior sister who passed by just now is very good," he said with a smile.


      "Very good?" Xi Meng, who was rather strong and had a buzz cut, looked once again with his own eyes. "Her skin is so dark. She is so thin and has no meat on her body. What's more, she looks much older than her real age. She has no other strengths except for her tall height!"


      "... Anyway, I feel that she looks pretty good," said Li Xiaoyuan with his hands outstretched. His taste in women had been criticized again and again.


      Xi Meng decided to give no more comments to Li Xiaoyuan, because he thought it would be good for others if his taste in women stayed this way. Otherwise, he would attract more beautiful girls with his handsome appearance!


      "Senior Brother Zhen hasn't arrived yet? Time is up!" Xi Meng changed the topic.


      Li Xiaoyuan looked at the martial arts arena and said, "Senior Brother Zhen has worked so hard for the past half year."


      "Oh, because he is motivated. Many people said that he had a problem with attitude and used up his potential, so he had little possibility to achieve a high rank in martial arts." Xi Meng sighed. "What's more, Lou Cheng appeared out of nowhere and his strength grew so quickly. Senior Brother Zhen might not want to lose face even though he's now in the fourth year."


      While they were talking, they suddenly felt that the earth was trembling slightly. They then turned around and saw Zhen Huansheng moving toward them with heavy steps while carrying his baggage.


      He had bronze skin and a clear face. Even though he was not so handsome, he was still very masculine. Every step that he took was so strong that he was like a tank was treading through the street. However, the closer he got, the weaker the trembling of the earth became. This situation was just opposite of a normal one!


      Zhen Huansheng said in a low voice, "Let's go!"


      …


      At Hudong University—


      "The walking fatty." Yu Zhi, took a glance at Wu Yong, Han Peipei, and the other people, as he was the first one to squeeze through the bus door. He then turned around and shouted,


      "This year, our goal is to advance to the final eight!"


      "The final eight!" All members of his martial arts club followed him and shouted in unison.


      …


      At Mingdao University—


      Because they lived close to the capital, the three brothers of the He family led a group of bench fighters who just regarded this match as a trip and arrived at the bullet train station.


      He Yifang looked around and asked, "Do we need to say any slogans or anything else?"


      While He Santai was playing the game Strike of Kings, he answered his bother without raising his head. "Do not bother me."


      …


      In the Capital College Martial Arts Club—


      "Kong Chan, where did our club manager go?" Shen You asked a cute girl who had a round face.


      "Senior Sister said that she wanted to go to the martial arts arena to get familiar with it." Jiang Kongchan replied to her innocently.


      Shen You immediately became very nervous. "You didn't take her there?"


      "I took her to the subway station. Anyway, the last station on the fourth line is our city's martial arts arena. No matter which exit she went out of, she wouldn't get lost. Within such a close distance, she could just ask someone for directions... " Jiang Kongchan explained.


      "I hope so... " Shen You still felt worried about her.


      In the subway station, on the waiting platform of the fourth line, which went from Kaiyang Meng to the City Martial Arts Arena.


      Ren Li, who had long and straight hair, narrowed her big eyes and looked deeply at the station nameplate:


      "Kaiyang Meng!"


      …


      On a medium-sized passenger plane, Lou Cheng asked Yan Zheke to sit by the window, while he sat right next to her.


      He held the girl's hand and looked into her eyes. He read the same excitement and expectation in her eyes as his, Li Mao's, and Cai Zongming's also had.


      Yes, I have been in the university for a year and a half and finally, I can participate in the National Competition!


      The door of the plane closed. After the aircraft slid along the ground and accelerated, it finally soared and flew up into the sky!




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     369 The Broadcast of the Program
      At eight o'clock in the evening, April 3rd—


      Yan Xiaoling lay on her bed and opened the computer. While she was waiting for the computer to be ready, she also updated a post in the forum with her phone.


      "Hello, is anybody here? No baby should ever miss the program, no matter what happens. Maybe I will also be on the program tonight, can you guess which one I am? Because I look different in reality than I do in the pictures."


      The program that was made by Shu Rui's team would be broadcast on Songcheng Television during its golden time. Although Yan Xiaoling missed watching the drawing part several times, she still had been recording video because she frequently stayed in the martial arts arena. As for what would be in the final edit of the official broadcasting version, she was still not clear.


      "Hey, aren't you the shortest one?" "Unparalleled Dragon King" would take every chance to ridicule Yan Xiaoling.


      Yan Xiaoling replied with grievance, "I am not. Huh, there was someone shorter than me in our Martial Arts Club. The girl I met recently, Qingqing, is one centimeter shorter than me. And Xiaohei is two centimeters, no, three centimeters shorter than me!"


      "But still, can this difference be observed with the naked eye?" "Road to the Arena" also made fun of her.


      Ridiculing "Eternal Nightfall", Yan Xiaoling, had become a show in Lou Cheng's fan forum. Even the fans in the forum of the Longhu Club would often join in on this activity.


      "How big a difference two centimeters makes! They all say that if I don't talk when I stand with them, I look like their sister." Yan Xiaoling talked back to them excitedly. "I won't talk with you from now on because the show is starting!"


      "Get yourself a small bench and watch the program quietly (holding the chin with one hand emoji)." "Wonton Seller" also came from the other forum to have fun here.


      "Little Wonton, how can you watch it if you have a self-study lesson at night?" "Brahman" was shocked.


      "Wonton Seller" sent a "glutinous rice dumpling" emoji and said, "Because I have a cold, so I asked for a leave... But wait, how about my plan of doing some exercises?"


      "I can do the exercises while watching the program!" "Brahman", this little girl, replied, showing no embarrassment or sorrow.



      At that moment,a picture of the new campus of Songcheng University appeared on Yan Xiaoling's computer screen. With lakes, mountains, and brightly-colored buildings, this university looked just like a garden.


      "It has been many years since the Songcheng University Martial Arts Club last went to the National Competition. However, now they will finally take the best opportunity. The two geniuses in this university bring us lots of hope. From the beginning of this semester, led by Lou Cheng and Lin Que, they will try their best to fight in the National Competition. We chose to accompany them during the entire process and record their life honestly.


      "And while I'm recording what I said just now, I don't know what kind of performance the Songcheng University Martial Arts Club will put out later on... "


      As Shu Rui was speaking like she was narrating a documentary. The long shot changed and moved the scene from a place far away to Songcheng University's martial arts arena. The camera recorded the scene of many students going in and out of the arena.


      "Da da da!" Some typing sounds were made by a typewriter. On the screen, there was a sentence: "In early September XXXX ".


      Inside the martial arts arena, the atmosphere was warm and soft. Several members who had arrived earlier had already been doing warm-ups. The scene shifted to a doorway, and a man that everyone was familiar with then entered in.


      "Hey, Lou Cheng, you have come so early today." Shu Rui greeted him.


      Lou Cheng did not feel embarrassed when he was facing the camera; he behaved very calmly and naturally. He even made a joke. "It's not early right now, Reporter Shu. Even your team has already arrived."


      Next, he answered her about his goal of this martial arts competition, which was: "He who doesn't want to be a general is not a good soldier". Yan Zheke also appeared on the scene without any make-up and accepted the sudden shooting of the program. At last, the audience was amused by the scene in which Lin Que cheered for Shu Rui under the condition that Shu Rui was the interviewer.


      The camera recorded their life truthfully. The audience could clearly see the surprised expressions on the faces of members when they got the Internal Training Methods. Furthermore, the scenes of all the members tempering so hard while still sometimes telling some jokes to relax one other were recorded. While the audience was watching this program, they also calmed down and immersed themselves in it. They seemed to follow all the members of the Songcheng University Martial Arts Club to advance to the final round of the National University Martial Arts Competition step by step.


      Because it was a real scene, it was exciting. That was the charm of the documentary.


      Yan Xiaoling, who was still talking and chatting in the forum, unconsciously put the phone down and focused on the computer screen. She saw the scene showing that after finishing the special training, Lin Que took the initiative to ask Lou Cheng to fight with him. She felt it was a pity that this program did not record that fight. In addition, she saw the reactions that the members had after they had drawn the first time. She also saw He Zi, who shrank in the corner and sent the freshest news about the team. He Zi was also called "Cat Reporter".


      Yan Xiaoxia thought while inexplicably laughing.


      Then she saw that all vspectators were shouting, "We're coming" in unison before the first match of the Martial Arts Club. The mysterious locker room also clearly appeared on the screen. In the program, Lou Cheng was smearing ointment to cure redness and bruises. The scene in which Lin Que was drying his short, wet hair as he came out of the bathroom was also recorded. The audience also saw that Yan Zheke, who was much more beautiful than movie stars, was also standing in front of the window of the cafeteria like millions of other college students and left with a dish in her hand. They saw that Lou Cheng, who was one of the candidates for the favored fighters of the age, was as normal as everyone else around him when he was eating bread and drinking soybean milk.


      In the bright classroom, as students, they were concentrated on learning. Meanwhile, they also kept going with their special training. The program also recorded Li Mao, Sun Jian, Cai Zongming, and others. They showed their real lives to the audience and showed their strong desire to go to the National Competition.


      Their team successfully advanced in the group competition. Then they easily defeated their opponent in the quarterfinals. During this process, the details of their competitions were linked together, so the audience felt refreshed while watching it. After watching this program, they felt that they understood the members once again from a different perspective. For example, they saw that while Lou Cheng got the supernatural ability to rebound Misfortune, other members would unconsciously be afraid of Lou Cheng and would avoid meeting him.


      When Li Mao and other members learned the fact that, in the first round of the semifinal, their opponent was Shanbei, they were shocked. However, the audience still saw the faint excitement and nervousness in Lou Cheng and Lin Que's eyes.


      The first climax of the program appeared when their team fought with Shanbei on away ground. The camera also recorded the story of Lou Cheng, who kept getting up to practice at half past five every morning. The program also perfectly portrayed the unspeakable feelings Lou Cheng had when he happened to meet Peng Leyun on the grounds.


      After watching the intense competition, the audience saw the depressed emotions on the faces of all the members, the inspiring speech that Geezer Shi gave to encourage them the next day, the hard-work attitude that Lou Cheng and other members showed, and the touching scene of students of Songcheng University spontaneously going to the arena on the weekend to use the slogan "Come On" to cheer for the Martial Arts Club.


      They then defeated Sanjiang and Haiyuan and successfully advanced to the final rounds. The program also presented the process of the members of the Martial Arts Club going to a food stall to celebrate their victory, which made the audience think that this group of young people was very real and modest.


      With the new year came a new start. In the program, people could clearly see the sweat that the members had when they were practicing and the violent pair exercises that they did every day. The camera then shot the moment when Lou Cheng and the other members got on the bus one by one, which was then driven to the airport.


      And finally, the scene focused on the image of all the members of the Martial Arts Club standing in a circle hand in hand as they shouted in unison,


      "The National Games!"


      The typing sound was played while the background became more blurred. Several black words were highlighted on the screen:


      "April 5th. The National University Martial Arts Competitions. The final round!"


      …


      "Huh... " Yan Xiaoling exhaled a breath and felt satisfied after she watched the program. She intended to collect a copy of this video and keep it.


      Yes, just like my idol, Lou Cheng, I am also a qualified squirrel-man!


      "All Good Names Are Taken by Dogs" sent the first post in the forum and sighed.


      "Lou Cheng is actually a funny person... Raise your hand if you agree with me! Did anyone else feel the interaction between Lin Que and reporter Shu was very cute?"


      "No, I think the interaction between Lin Que and everyone else is cute." "Shuilan," who had a sign like "Forever Eighteen," talked back to him.


      "You make sense... What's more, I always thought that Lou Cheng may have a relationship with Yan Zheke!" "All Good Names Are Taken By Dogs" had found some details and facts.


      "Didn't you come to this forum during the last match?" "Okamoto's Fan" threw up his hands.


      "I have become a fan of Sister Yan. She is really pretty, so pretty, gorgeous... " A new member of the forum named "A Heavenly Steed Soaring Across the Sky" said.


      "Unparalleled Dragon King" sent a post to ridicule them. "You guys, ah, just pay attention to adultery and gossip. Shouldn't you focus on the matches between the favored fighters of the age, such as Lou Cheng, Peng Leyun, Ren Li, Ann Chaoyang, and Zhen Huansheng? They are about to trade ferocious fists with each other. Their fights will make us fume with anger and wonder who the real favored fighter of the age should be."


      "Trade fists, fuming in anger... I'm sorry, I was thinking something about sex. Wait for me to stop my nosebleed." "Bull Demon King" made a dirty joke again.


      "Dragons, dragons, I seriously want to discuss this. No. First, let me wipe off my saliva because both the real Lou Cheng and Lin Que are very attractive!" "Wonton Seller" asked, "Which level do you think Peng Leyun and others have achieved?"


      "Holy sh*t, Little Wonton. You actually want to discuss such a serious topic!" "Unparalleled Dragon King" chose to ridicule all the people who talked to him. "This year, whether the result will be clear depends on Peng Leyun. Has he achieved the Inhuman stage? So it's hard to tell the result now. Ren Li may have already achieved the top strength of the Professional Sixth Pin. I can't guess Lou Cheng's strength, because he always makes miracles. But he definitely is a fighter of strong Professional Sixth Pin. Ann Chaoyang and Zhen Huansheng also were said to have achieved the Professional Sixth Pin. As for whether they are powerful fighters of the Sixth Pin, it is hard to say. But Lin Que, he probably is a powerful fighter of the Seventh Pin."


      "It sounds like our idol is great." "Brahman" covered her mouth and laughed. "Wait a minute, have you seen Little Changye?"


      "No, isn't Lingling too short to be seen by us?" "Nie Qiqi" made fun of her.


      Because the National Competition had attracted many people, there were many new fans in Lou Cheng's forum. His forum became more and more popular. Some people praised him, while some disdained him.


      …


      While the fans were talking about the program, Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke also took their eyes away from the computer screen.


      "Reporter Shu is a good person. She never broadcasted anything about our relationship," Yan Zheke said with her bright eyes.


      "Of course, I specifically asked her not to." Lou Cheng laughed.


      And he also asked Shu Rui to cut out the moments between Ke and him and send it to him because he intended to use it in the future!


      But for now, he would not share this secret with Ke!


      "Do you actually talk to Shu Rui behind my back?" Yen Zheke turned around and gazed at him.


      "Eh, why does she focus on this point..." Lou Cheng blinked his eyes and said innocently, "I just called her once... "


      After seeing his reaction, Yan Zheke let out a laugh. "I'm just trying to scare you!"


      She then looked up and said while thinking something over, "I don't think you only asked Reporter Shu to not broadcast those moments. But, hmm, as far as I know, you have a habit to collect moments like this, so you also asked her to send you those moments! Yes or no?"


      "... Dear classmate, can you allow yourself to be surprised?" Lou Cheng at first sat there dumbly for a while, and then gave her a funny answer.


      When did Ke learn so much about me?


      "Because I want to see the moments right now," Yan Zheke said with emotion in her eyes.


      They again began to watch another version of that program together.


      …


      The reason why the Songcheng University Martial Arts Club had chosen to come to the capital several days early was to adapt to the dry weather and the great temperature difference between day and night there so that they could keep these conditions from influencing their health.


      After they had adjusted themselves for two days, at 7:40 PM on April 5th, it was time for the C group to begin their group competition. From this group, Shanbei University Martial Arts Club had won the championship last year.


      In the city stadium, surrounded by cheering sounds, Lou Cheng saw that Peng Leyun was the last fighter on his team and had defeated the leading fighter of Xinghai School. Peng Leyun's team had the first victory of the group competition.


      "I still don't know which level he is at now... " At the beginning of another competition of Group C, Lou Cheng looked toward Yan Zheke, who was sitting next to him, and whispered to himself.


      All the National Competitions were held in the evening, so there was only one group competition per day. That is to say, each team would have about a four-day break after they finished their group competition. Furthermore, before the quarterfinals, they would be given two days to adjust their health states. The same went for the semifinals and the finals.


      Because the group who had the championship team should compete first, the order of the group competition was CDAB. The Songcheng University Martial Arts Club would fight against the Hudong University Martial Arts Club in the second round on April 6th.


      As for this fight, Lou Cheng dared not show any ignorance or carelessness. Because once a team advanced, the rule would be that the group which ranked first must fight against the group which ranked second. If they happened to become second, they would be forced to fight against Shanbei or Capital in the quarterfinals. So even if they could gain a victory, they would be hurt badly and would simply be unable to confront the following opponents, because the teams that could advance to the national finals were really powerful and were hard to deal with!


      As for Huahai Club in particular, Ann Chaoyang certainly had the strength of Sixth Pin, while Piao Yuan's strength was closer to Seventh Pin. The other team members were also more powerful than Lou Cheng's Martial Arts Club!




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     370 Fight!
      "The defending champions attacked so ruthlessly, defeating their opponents so effortlessly!"


      "He KO'ed his opponent in just 10 moves! That's just a warm-up for Peng Leyun!"


      "Shanbei is terrifying! Peng Leyun too! Is there any question as to who the champions will be this year?"


      "He is the true God's Favored One!"


      After the first match of the Group Competition ended, the martial arts columns of major websites, Weibo, and forums uploaded the video of the match with exaggerated titles. Lou Cheng looked up news about the match and then put down his phone. He closed his eyes, ready to fall asleep.


      Just then, he heard the ringtone he specifically set for Ke and knew that she had sent him a message.


      "I was so busy in saying 'good night' that I forgot something serious." Yan Zheke sent a blushing emoji. "Darling, good luck!"


      The corners of Lou Cheng's mouth twitched. He picked up his phone and replied with a voice message.


      "Darling, let's both work hard for it!"


      Their conversation ended after this message and they fell asleep immediately. When the sky was just beginning to brighten, Lou Cheng woke up on time and went to the park nearby to practice.


      He returned to the hotel at eight. After enjoying a reasonably delicious free breakfast with Yan Zheke, he followed the other members to the martial arts arena they had reserved for their relaxation training.


      He took a nap after lunch to recover his energy. Then he went to Yan Zheke's room to review the matches that the Hudong University Martial Arts Club had participated in in the past six months.


      They had a simple dinner together at 5:20 PM. The two of them followed the other members to board the bus in order and successfully arrived at the City Martial Arts Arena in the Capital before rush hour.


      When Lou Cheng was about to get off the bus, he made a status update on his Weibo.


      "Here it comes, my first national competition!"


      Once the post went live, he did not look at the comments. He directly put his phone into his pocket and made a little shouting cheer to himself.



      "Definite victory!"


      …


      There were eight rather luxurious locker rooms in the City Martial Arts Arena in the Capital, with a bench, a sofa, a massage chair, and a television in each room.


      Since it was not even 6:30 PM, Geezer Shi told the members to stop their being nervous and to do whatever they wanted.


      He did not check his phone, not wanting it to affect his mood. Instead, he chatted with Yan Zheke idly in whispers until 7:30 PM. When the first match was about to start, he chose to close his eyes to conserve his energy. Though this fight between Huahai and Mingdao would undoubtedly reveal a lot of their tactics, there was no need to watch them tonight. He still had another four days to study their matches. He had to stay focused before his fight against Hudong. It was a good habit to keep himself distraction-free.


      Yan Zheke's period came on time last night. Though she was hurting less today and thought she could still force herself to fight, she was still nevertheless not in her best condition. She felt weaker than Li Mao and the other members, so she gave up the chance to fight and prioritized the victory of their Martial Arts Club.


      But she vowed to be full of energy in the upcoming matches!


      She opened her eyes, interlocking her fair and slender fingers with Lou Cheng's as she recalled the three leading players of Hudong University Martial Arts Club.


      Yu Zhi was a fourth-year student born with a unique figure that could just barely be counted as his supernatural ability. He was a direct beneficiary of Peng Leyun and Ren Li joining the university martial arts circle.


      People thought that he was bogged down by his natural ability and would be hard-pressed to achieve the Dan Stage. However, after suffering defeats in the hands of Peng Leyun and Ren Li, he seemed to be affected strongly and had managed to open the governor and conception vessels in his body thoroughly. He finally took that important step forward and successfully mastered the Force Concentration after the last national competition.


      The moment his strength improved, he turned his natural ability into his advantage. He instantly had power similar to that of a top Eighth Pin fighter. He then went on to advance by leaps and bounds over a period of time. Now that 11 months had passed, his strength ought to be even more terrifying!


      Some betting companies had set out the odds for this, thinking Yu Zhi now likely had the power of a top Seventh Pin fighter.


      He might've been the reason why Hudong was able to rank first in their division, but not why they were considered an outstanding team in the second round. The latter was thanks to the improvement of another team member, Han Peipei, or better known as Soul Voice!


      Han Peipei was a female third-year student. Her supernatural ability was sonic. She could make ultrasonic and infrasonic moves skillfully. When she was a Professional Ninth Pin fighter, her ability was not as strong as it was now. Just before this district contest, she made a major improvement after two years of hard practice and formed Dan in her body. Though she did not improve as quickly as Yu Zhi did in the past few months, her supernatural ability became more and more chilling. Her integrated strength was considered as strong as Seventh Pin.


      Thanks to their two powerful leading players, Hudong was ranked the seventh most likely to win the championship on the odds list, behind Shanbei, the Capital, Huahai, Guangnan, Songcheng, and Mingdao. That was why Group D was known as the super-death team.


      In such a group, the team who could defeat the rest to advance to the top eight would not emerge unscathed!


      The third leading player of Hudong was the second year, Wu Yong, a top Ninth Pin fighter. He was considered one of the likeliest to achieve the Dan stage.


      Their benched fighters were no weaklings. Two were Professional Ninth Pin fighters and four were Amateur First Pin fighters.


      …


      The plump, sumo-like Yu Zhi was in the other locker room, not turning on the television. He was listening to the movements outside, smiling.


      "The three brothers in Mingdao will definitely apply for the special competition format so they can fight together. Their match will be faster than normal, maybe taking five or 10 minutes, so it will be our turn very soon."


      Yu Zhi glanced at the bright-eyed, tanned-skin Han Peipei and turned to Wu Yong and the others. His expression turned solemn.


      "Lou Cheng is strong, incredibly so. Lin Que is not weaker than Peipei and I. We can neither deny these facts nor act like we don't know."


      "You are right. Songcheng is stronger than us. They are a strong team equal to Guangnan and Huahai and weaker only than Shanbei and the Capital in this competition!"


      "But this doesn't mean we will lose. There is a gap in our strength, but not so wide that we cannot bridge it no matter what!"


      Realizing his team members were also becoming as solemn as he was, Yu Zhi raised his somewhat sharp voice.


      "And we have a major advantage! Our goal is only the top eight."


      "Before we left, I told everyone our goal is the top eight and only that!"


      "In other words, we don't care how we fare in this group competition! It doesn't matter even if we suffer injuries, lose our leading player line-up, and fail at the quarterfinals! We are all okay with it!"


      "Songcheng is different. They want to become the top four and try their luck at the championship. They need to conserve their energy as best as possible to deal with the following knockout matches. So they will hesitate when they have to go all out against us!"


      "Where there is nothing to lose, there is nothing to fear. This is our advantage!"


      His words inspired and excited Wu Yong and the other team members. They seemed to have seen the hope to defeat a championship candidate, a hope aroused by their courage and perseverance that could help them defeat a powerful team!


      The fat on Yu Zhi's cheeks shifted as he glanced at Han Peipei.


      "Peipei, you are the first player. Whoever your opponent is, hurt them with your supernatural ability as much as possible to create opportunities for the next players!"


      The Hudong team once had a coach named Shen Jinfu. But since he had a conflict with Yu Zhi and was unable to control the naughty members, the university finally, reluctantly, fired him.


      "Okay!" Han Peipei was an introvert, so she did not say much.


      After looking around, Yu Zhi pointed at himself.


      "I will go second. I will defeat my opponent at any cost!"


      "Wu Yong, you will go last. Don't worry about who your opponent will be. Just try your best!"


      He breathed a sigh of relief after making the player order arrangements.


      "I didn't tell you how to defeat Lin Que and Lou Cheng because I don't want you to think about that! Just focus on the present and fight them step by step. Just use all your strength and do your best!"


      Wu Yong and Han Peipei nodded in agreement.


      The team shouted in unison, "Fight!"


      …


      In the locker room for Songcheng University.


      With a clap of his hands, Geezer Shi pierced the silence of the room and drew everyone's attention to him.


      "Go on, Little Yan. Tell us what arrangement Hudong will most likely make," he said, smiling at Yan Zheke.


      Li Mao and the others felt much more relaxed thanks to the familiar script and ritual. They felt like this was not a national competition, but a normal match they would have every day.


      Already accustomed to this situation, Yan Zheke pondered for a moment before looking up at him.


      "It is arrogant of me to say this, but if Hudong wants to win, they can only try their best."


      Everyone burst out laughing at her words and the tension haunting the locker room somewhat dissipated.


      Yan Zheke pursed her lips and chuckled. "Since Hudong wants to give this match their all, they will most likely send out their most destructive player, Han Peipei, first. If she can defeat Lin Que and injure Cheng, then it will be their victory."


      "Yu Zhi will be the second and he will try his best to defeat his opponent. Wu Yong or another Professional Ninth Pin fighter will round out the match.


      "If nothing else, they will definitely show their spirit."


      Geezer Shi nodded in satisfaction and asked, "What should we do in this situation?"


      "Stay calm and just do what we need to do," Yan Zheke answered with a smile. "We will do as per your arrangement."


      "Let's be cautious in the first round lest any accidents happen. We don't want the result to affect our mood later," Geezer Shi said after coughing twice.


      "Yes! Let's be cautious!" The team completely agreed with his opinion.


      "Our caution is also in consideration of our future matches. We can't have anyone injured. How will we handle Mingdao and Huahai later?" Geezer Shi chuckled. "Who is most likely to be safe from Han Peipei?"


      Before he even finished his sentence, everyone turned to Lou Cheng. That included the spirited and eager Lin Que, who felt persuaded to consider the next two matches.


      Lou Cheng smiled and moved a step forward.


      "Master, I want to be the first fighter."


      Let him be the one to win the first victory for their Martial Arts Club in this national competition!


      "Go ahead. But if you lose, see if I won't slap you with my shoe!" Geezer Shi scolded laughingly before turning to Lin Que. "Lin, you are second. I don't think you will need any instructions."


      "No need!" Lin Que answered in a deep tone.


      "Li Mao, you will be the final player to sweep the rest of the opponents. No need to be nervous. Since the first two are so powerful, you may not even have the chance to fight," Geezer Shi said, grinning.


      All of Li Mao's nervousness melted away and he laughed.


      "I still hope they will save me some 'leftovers'!"


      He had become a true Professional Ninth Pin fighter after training hard for several months and mastering meditation and Internal Training Methods! His confidence had been boosted a fair bit!


      "The benched fighters are as usual: Cai Zongming, Sun Jian, and Lin Hua," Geezer Shi said, waving his hand.


      They received news of the ongoing match outside after waiting a while. Huahai had paid the price of having their leading player, Zhang Dongliang, and his substitute, Deng Yuntao, getting injured to barely break the tactical formation of the Three He brothers from Mingdao. Further, He Erlong also showed his true Dan stage strength in this match!


      So their tactical formation formed by three Dan Stage fighters had worked!


      Lou Cheng and the rest were not too concerned about this news. To be more precise, they were too focused to think too hard about it. It was their turn next!


      Outside the locker room, with bright lights shining above their heads, Lou Cheng opened the door and was the first to step out of the room!


      Various sounds soared around them in a medley of cheers and boos.




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     371 Round One
      The weibo post Lou Cheng published earlier had gotten quite some forwards and comments.


      Wonton Seller said, "You can do this (tapping shoulders)!"


      Brahma 001 sent a cat head emoji and replied, "My snacks and screams are ready!"


      Eternal Nightfall had "love hearts in front of her eyes" and commented, "Fighting! Songcheng University is going to win! So are you!"


      …


      Lou Cheng's post simply stated the fact that the national tournament was about to start. No anti or opposition factions were attracted. Of course, there were always odd people.


      "Don't let Peng Leyun steal the show!"


      "I don't really think you can make it to the top four, but you should be able to nail this one."


      "Yesterday, Peng Leyun ended it in ten bouts as a warm-up. What about you today?"


      "Don't hurt yourself so you can use it as an excuse."


      …


      After reading all this, the program had cut back to the live broadcast studio. Host Liu Chang turned with a smile to the well-known commentator, Chen Sansheng.


      "Sansheng, you didn't expect see Lou Cheng in the first round, did you?"


      "Well, I did think about it." One of the Sixth Pin capable martial artists, the amusing-looking Chen Sansheng majored in commentary. A bit slothful by nature and without a strong attachment to the pursuit martial arts, he slowly left the professional tournaments after he became able to make the same income as an online host. "This is the very first time these Songcheng University students are attending the national tournament. It's perfectly normal for them to have fear, and it's totally understandable that they are handling it with the greatest caution."


      "What do you think about the first fight between Lou Cheng and Han Peipei?" Liu Chang led the conversation.


      Chen Sansheng laughed. "The result is obvious. If Lou Cheng can't defeat Han Peipei, he won't be a qualified candidate for the favored fighters of the age. The highlight of this match lies in how much of Lou Cheng's physical strength will be consumed and how much damage Han Peipei will inflict on him."


      "Yeah, Han Peipei's supernatural ability of sound waves is hard to deal with. Even a capable martial artist of Professional Sixth Pin might not be able to walk away unharmed. Sansheng, could you briefly spell the possibilities out for us?" Liu Chang threw out another topic.



      Chen Sansheng came prepared. He opened his mouth with high confidence without peeking at the notebook on the desk.


      "The supernatural power of sound waves can be used in many ways. I'll mainly cover three aspects here. First of all, the reflection of sound waves can be used to probe and examine, allowing Han Peipei to know the enemy's next move beforehand, which is more effective than the Absolute Reaction. Later I'll come back to it as it is actually the core of her style. Second, it can be used to create ultrasound waves. We all know that ultrasound waves can crush rocks, don't we? I'm not a scientist and I'm not sure if my following analogy is suitable. Anyways, with this super power, Han Peipei is able to leave a subtle impact on her rival, interfering with his exertion of strength and Dan stage explosion.


      "The third one is the most important. He-heh. You heard me, the most important one. Han Peipei's infrasound waves are her most powerful and deadly weapon. Through resonance, she is able to create the feeling of dizziness and nausea in her rival, shake his internal organs, and even cause internal injuries to him that could be fatal. For martial artists that are not yet at the Inhuman level, they can't put on any effective defensive measures against this. They could put some effort on controlling the vibration frequency of their organs, but that would leave an obvious physical opening for their enemy to take advantage of."


      Liu Chang responded, "Very well said, Sansheng. In the real world, martial artists can't just develop some internal force to protect their bodies physically from sound waves like in some fiction books. They will have to either take the hit or control their bodies by force. Hmm… Sounds like it'll be hard for Lou Cheng to not get injured."


      He played innocent.


      "Not necessarily. The influence of infrasound takes time to actually work. Err… It will depend on her energy… I have some data here. Since Han Peipei's entry into the Dan stage with the Professional Eighth Pin certificate, it takes her five seconds to cause dizziness and nausea in her rival of the same level. Only five seconds. The effect will grow significantly over time. Internal injuries will take place within 20 seconds."


      Chen Sansheng flipped over the notebook on the desk and cleared his throat before continuing, "A Professional Sixth Pin martial artist is considerably stronger than his Professional Eighth Pin peers in terms of physical attributes. We can infer a bit here with reasonable assumptions. I think Lou Cheng will begin to suffer physical discomfort from Han Peipei's super power within 20 seconds and internal injuries will take place in about 90 seconds. The longer the match lasts, the worse his internal injuries will be."


      "So… Taking into consideration the relieving effect from his force concentration, Lou Cheng must end the fight within three to five minutes to avoid possible internal injuries and keep himself at a better form for the following matches?" Liu Chang put on a look of a sudden realization.


      "No. Two minutes." Chen Sansheng negated Liu Chang's conclusion.


      "Why is that?" Liu Chang sincerely looked puzzled.


      Chen Sansheng laughed again. "He will begin to suffer dizziness and nausea within 20 seconds. How bad will his condition become after a bit more time? Yes, the force concentration can reduce the effect, but it can't completely dissolve it. If he fails to finish this fight within two minutes, he will fall to Han Peipei's tempo and will be trying to resist the effect with his force concentration constantly. This will consume him greatly and will leave him vulnerable to injuries if anything goes wrong."


      "That's right. But two minutes should be enough for a Professional Sixth Pin martial artist to finish Han Peipei of Professional Eighth Pin, right?" Lou Cheng only had a Professional Eighth Pin certificate, but Liu Chang apparently treated him as a Professional Sixth Pin fighter without a doubt.


      Are you kidding me? Lou Cheng was already close to the Professional Sixth Pin level in December. Half a year has passed. He's certainly of Professional Sixth Pin by now considering his improvment speed.


      "I'm not sure about that," laughed Chen Sansheng. "Speaking of which… Now we must talk about Han Peipei's martial arts style. She mostly plays ranged guerrilla, affecting the enemy with her ultrasound waves and weakening the enemy with her infrasound. She will wait until the right moment to get close… "


      "But Lou Cheng is not a piece of wood, so she won't be given opportunities to use ranged attacks comfortably." Liu Chang expressed her doubt.


      "Lou Cheng is not wood!"


      "Since Han Peipei reached the Dan stage, she has become able to produce different sound waves at the same time. With the same amount of total energy, she usually probes and examines while attacking with infrasound waves. In other words, she can read if the enemy is about to perform a Dan stage explosion or launch a counterattack with his super power, which allows her to duck like a sneaky bunny that you can neither catch nor hurt. Her rival will be in a passive position while dealing with her strikes," explained Chen Sansheng.


      "Err… This sounds like a bully… " Before Liu Chang could finish her comment, the director's voice came into her earphone. She adjusted her facial expression and cut the discussion with the commentator. "Okay. The conversation time will start any second. How will Lou Cheng break Han Peipei's terrifying style and super power? Let's wait and see."


      …


      In the ring, the lights were so bright that it was as if the sun was still out there shining. Lou Cheng and Han Peipei came up from either side almost simultaneously, ready for their first match of this tournament.


      Conserved and introverted, Han Peipei remained silent during the conversation time. Lou Cheng adjusted his physical and mental status, deliberating his plan.


      In the Songcheng University Martial Arts Club seating area, Yan Zheke's hands made a tight fist unconsciously. Her concerned eyes were locked on the arena.


      She knew her boyfriend would win, but she was afraid he would consume his energy or suffer an internal injury.


      On the other side, Yu Zhi from Hudong University appeared relaxed and pleased. Obviously he was pretty happy about the coming battle. "As long as Peipei can damage Lou Cheng, I can enjoy an easy victory. Lin Que is at a similar level as me. If I do my best, a win is not impossible. It will all come down to the third fighter."


      The referee glanced at the clock and raised his right hand. He took half a step back and announced clearly,


      "Fight!"


      Songcheng University Martial Arts Club's journey in the national tournament had officially started!


      Once the referee's voice faded in the air, a seal formed in Lou Cheng's hands and the ancient character "Bing" was visualized in his head.


      Nine Words Formula, "Army" Formula!


      He wanted a quick victory!


      Han Peipei wiggled her stomach and opened her throat, firing an odd sound.


      It sounded far but also close, exploded next to Lou Cheng, and dissolved his chanting of Army in the air.


      The chant was dissolved, so the Nine Words Formula couldn't work!


      As a skilled user of sound waves, she confirmed Lou Cheng's "Army" Formula was a mental assault after watching his combat videos over and over again and practiced hard to cancel it out with her own sound waves. Based on her martial arts style, she had made the sound at the perfect time to directly dissolve Lou Cheng's "Army" Formula chant in the air.


      Pleased by how perfectly her sound waves worked, she stamped her foot and suddenly changed her direction. Lou Cheng had just completed a Dan stage explosion, jumping at her like a whistling wind.


      The fierce wind missed its target.


      As soon as he landed on the ground, Lou Cheng withdrew and then released his blood and qi, performed the second explosion immediately, and threw himself at Han Peipei once again just like he did in the fight with Liu Xunzhen. Suppress the enemy with his stage superiority. Suppress the enemy with his physical strength.


      Han Peipei saw this coming. She slid away and dodged the strike.


      The Triple Explosion. Then the Quadruple Explosion… One continued to attack and the other swiftly ducked. Seemingly, Lou Cheng could do nothing but shorten the distance between them little by little.


      In the broadcast studio, Chen Sansheng checked his watch and reminded the audience with a smile,


      "Ten seconds."


      After his failed explosions, Lou Cheng remained calm and changed his footwork. He agilely followed Han Peipei like the northerly wind and continued to shorten the distance between them.


      Han Peipei didn't feel nervous at all as she was very confident in her probing ability and ducking skills.


      When the distance between them was shortened to a point, Lou Cheng raised his arm and prepared for another seal while approaching.


      "Again?" Afraid of receiving any mental assault which might slow her down or numb her mind, Han Peipei took it seriously and made the odd sound again.


      Surrounded by the odd sound waves, Lou Cheng exerted strength from his five fingers, changed the seal abruptly, and chanted a different ancient word,


      "Attainment!"


      Bang! He sprung out suddenly, piercing through the air with crispy sounds, and reached Han Peipei in no time, with his arm swinging rapidly.


      "Err… " Han Peipei's vision was blurry. The enemy was right in front of her, leaving her no room to dodge and no time to produce a loud sound to affect his hearing and balance. She had no choice but to concentrate her strength and receive the attack with a punch.


      Lou Cheng's tendons flicked to withdraw his arm, his foot stamped, and his weight shifted to avoid Han Peipei's punch and move to her side.


      "The nineteenth movement of the Ice Sect, Cold Swallow!"


      Bam!


      Lou Cheng visualized thunder clouds above an ice-bound river. His right arm cut downward like a club, aiming at her head.


      Simplified Physical Invulnerable Move, Severe Warning.


      Bang!


      Han Peipei threw another punch to barely block this strike. Her entire body felt frozen and her mind had a temporary short circuit. She stood there stiffly with white frost appearing on her skin.


      Lou Cheng threw his left arm out and stopped at Han Peipei's neck.


      "Round one, Lou Cheng!" announced the referee.


      In the broadcast studio, Chen Sansheng blurted out,


      "14 seconds!"


      Han Peipei had lost in 14 seconds…




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     372 A Living Targe
      "14 seconds!"


      Viewers in front of the TV were shocked by Chen Sansheng's shout. It took them a while to realize what had just happened. Then they all felt stunned.


      Not two minutes. Not even 20 seconds. Lou Cheng had defeated Han Peipei before her infrasound could cause any effect.


      The host and the commentator had talked so much before the fight, making Han Peipei look like a tough rival.


      …


      Phew… Yan Zheke loosened her fists and waved at the ring. Cheng had betean Han Peipei and was safe and sound. There would be nothing to worry about.


      Next to her, Li Mao and Lin Hua both rose, relieved from their biggest concern.


      …


      Yu Zhi suddenly stood up, gazing at the ring, his fat shaking on his body.


      He couldn't hear the commentator and didn't check his watch, but he knew how fast Han Peipei had lost.


      Lou Cheng was not injured. The fight didn't even last long enough for the dizziness or nausea to take place.


      How should I engage him in the next round?


      …


      "A 14 second real man… " Okamoto's Fan posted in Lou Cheng's fans forum first.


      "My Lou Cheng is too cool! That commentator's mouth was wide enough to fit in a goose egg!" Eternal Nightfall sent an "I'm so awesome" emoji.


      Brahma "wiggled back and forth" proudly. "That is my idol! Including the conversation time, the fight was not as long as the commentators' analysis… "


      "Super Master Lou of one punch!" Wonton Seller rolled about in the form of a sticky rice ball. She liked to make emojis herself.


      …


      After leaving their comments with a tinge of emotion, Unparalleled Dragon King published his long post beginning with an amusing emoji. "Fighters with super powers can be very strong. Theoretically and practically, they can have a good chance in defeating those of a higher level. However, once an accident that they are unable to handle takes place, they become very fragile and their defeat will come like a collapsing mountain. I'm talking about fights between these kinds of fighters and a higher level rival."



      "Yeah. Who would have guessed that Lou Cheng had mastered another sound of the Nine Sounds Spell and that it happened to be a dramatic speed boost. It makes perfect sense for Han Peipei to lose like this," replied Road to the Arena. Since their first encounter in Yanling, Lou Cheng has never failed to surprise him.


      With the hints of Lou Cheng's Army Formula and Forwarding Formula, someone got to the bottom of these ancient sounds and associated them with the Body-guarding Magic Arts of Nine Chinese Characters. Since Daxing Temple had a style called the six-syllabled Sanskrit mantra, he named this secret discipline the nine-syllabled Sanskrit mantra.


      "But… But… Now Lou Cheng has revealed his trump card?" asked Wonton Seller, very concerned.


      Unparalleled Dragon King laughed. "I think it's worth it. It was necessary to finish Han Peipei fast, as fast as possible. Or he would've been injured over time and his performance in the upcoming matches would've been affected."


      "Internal injuries take quite some time to recover!"


      …


      In the broadcast studio, listening to the screams and claps from the audience, Chen Sansheng shut his mouth to resume his normal bearing.


      "Yu Zhi doesn't look good," commented Host Liu Chang, watching Yu Zhi step to the flight of stone stairs like a heavy tank.


      "Of course. Han Peipei lost the match that easily… Yu Zhi is going to suffer." Since he was well experienced in the ring, Chen Sansheng quickly adjusted his mood and appeared relaxed again.


      Liu Chang tilted her head and looked at her co-host of the day, puzzled. "Why is Yu Zhi going to suffer?"


      "He is someone who is highly gifted. Yu Zhi is gifted with a layer of fat that provides him great might way beyond his level and protects him like a suit of armor. It's too soft and sleek to be damaged by regular attacks." Chen Sansheng tried to simplify his point. "If we were in a game, a character like Yu Zhi would be high in attack and defense and low in agility. Lou Cheng restrains him perfectly in every possible way."


      Liu Chang recalled the past matches. "I don't think Yu Zhi is slow. His punches and slaps are almost too fast to follow."


      "His strikes are not slow, but his mobility is poor. Doesn't that make him a living target for Lou Cheng?" Chen Sansheng gave his conclusion before adding details. "Yu Zhi's current strength and Dan stage explosion power are close to a minor Professional Sixth Pin fighter. Those of his level can take two or three punches of his at their very best. He can easily take a few explosions in a row without being badly injured as long as his vital parts are secured. In case of any minor wounds, his fat will help him recover fully in no time.


      "Because of this, he likes to play the 'You give me one punch and I return you one' game with capable rivals to cause damage at the cost of suffering damage. Usually, he can drag his enemy into a very difficult situation and then enjoy a fairly high chance of winning. But Lou Cheng is different. Simplified Physical Invulnerable Move plus super powers of ice and fire. When Lou Cheng throws these down, how many bouts can Yu Zhi handle? How many punches will Yu Zhi dare to take? When it comes to speed and response, Yu Zhi is no match. Isn't he a living target?"


      Liu Chang drew a deep breath in. "So… Yu Zhi is pretty much waiting for death?"


      "If Lou Cheng was worn down greatly during the fight with Han Peipei, or if he was slowing down and suffering from dizziness, nausea, or even internal injuries, Yu Zhi would have the odds. Now… He-heh." Chen Sansheng answered the question with his signature laughter.


      "The Simplified Physical Invulnerable Move is deadly," said Liu Chang with a tinge of emotion.


      "Very! But not everyone can master the Simplified Physical Invulnerable Move. First, you need someone to pass it on to you. You can't just create it from nothing unless you are one of those rare talents that can establish a sect. Then you must be able to achieve the full meditation status, which is actually rare among the Professional Seventh Pin martial artists. Thirdly, you need a super power or your body must reach the Professional Sixth Pin level physical attributes; otherwise, your Simplified Physical Invulnerable Move won't have much of an effect… " Chen Sansheng took the opportunity to popularize some science to the audience.


      Partially recovered, Han Peipei concentrated to form the chill in her body into some white qi and breathed it out.


      She turned around to leave, with apparent disappointment on her face and heaviness in her feet.


      Yu Zhi tapped her shoulder before getting in the arena, his footsteps loud and showing off his weight.


      It had become clear to him. Fighting his best was the only thing left for him.


      He must break open a path of blood through difficulties and hardships.


      He must play with the odds and drag himself out of the desperate situation.


      Bang!


      Yu Zhi took his position, his fat shaking and shining.


      The referee took a deep breath before raising his right hand. He called in a loud and clear voice,


      "Fight!"


      Lou Cheng took half a step forward, his left hand hooked and left wrist shook, sending out a crystal clear white light along the ground. His right arm swung and shook to the opposite direction, throwing a fierce, red fireball at the enemy's head.


      Burning Ice and Flame!


      He was taking advantage of Yu Zhi's poor mobility.


      Yu Zhi curved his back and jumped forward to dodge the cold light and confront the fireball like a rocky mountain.


      Bam!


      The fireball burst open, flames dancing in all directions and tearing Yu Zhi's clothes apart. Yu Zhi's fat was shaking, slightly burnt, displaying his excellent defense!


      Bam! When he landed on the ground, the stage wobbled as if it had been hit by a giant stone.


      Lou Cheng slid close to him, shrinking and then releasing his qi, blood, and spirit.


      Pop!


      His right arm inflated like a giant hammer, cutting towards Yu Zhi's thick neck.


      Yu Zhi didn't give him a second look. He quickly swelled his neck and stretched out his right arm, making use of his height and long arm to slap Lou Cheng's head rapidly.


      My neck might not hurt badly from your strike, but your head can't handle my slap for sure.


      I might even hit you before you reach me!


      Simplified Physical Invulnerable Move or not, you are going to lose!


      Lou Cheng didn't meet force with force. He released his forces and leaned forward to duck the slap. Then he quickly moved to Yu Zhi's side and concentrated his force to throw another powerful punch at his waist.


      Yu Zhi tightened the fat around his legs and threw a side kick to meet Lou Cheng's strike in hopes of hurting him at the cost of his own injuries.


      Lou Cheng flicked his tendons and pulled strength from his waist, dragging his body to Yu Zhi's back. Yu Zhi kept up his footwork and turned around just in time.


      "Not bad… " Lou Cheng praised silently, his left arm blocking his chest and right fist reaching out to the enemy's lower stomach like a lightning bolt.


      Yu Zhi played the same trick by stretching out his long arm like an ape, fat tightened and swollen, towards Lou Cheng's head.


      Lou Cheng suddenly drew his qi and blood back, concentrated his force at his lower stomach, and stopped his right punch by force. Relying on the balance of ice and fire, he didn't release his qi this time. Instead, he quickly terminated the concentration of qi and calmed his strength down.


      The left arm in front of his chest abruptly swung outward to engage Yu Zhi's slap.


      He visualized an ice bound river with frozen sprays and spindrifts.


      Bam!


      Thunder clouds appeared and the entire world seemed to be shattering.


      Bang!


      Lou Cheng's left arm hit Yu Zhi's palm.


      A layer of white frost instantly spread over Yu Zhi's skin, the light in his eyes replaced by dullness and his left leg slowly whipping. His defense was indeed very impressive.


      Lou Cheng swiftly slid to the side of Yu Zhi and again concentrated his force, taking advantage of his temporary dullness and slowness to throw another punch at him.


      Phew!


      The punch hit Yu Zhi's ribs, his fat shaking wildly, soft and sleek. He barely recovered from the Severe Warning and rushed to shrink his blood, qi, force, and the cold wave.


      Lou Cheng picked up his pace at once, moved rapidly, and exploded again and again, leaving his enemy no time to recover.


      Double Explosion… Then Triple Explosion, Quadruple Explosion, Quintuple… Bam! Bam! Bam! Lou Cheng continued to move agilely, both his arms swinging, hitting Yu Zhi in turn. Yu Zhi's fat turned red as if it were about to break open.


      Even an iron body couldn't handle such strikes from Lou Cheng. He was very close to a severe injury when he suddenly threw himself forward at Lou Cheng, attempting to pin him down with his entire body weight and turn the tables.


      Phoom!


      The sound of wind whistled as Yu Zhi smashed towards Lou Cheng like a collapsing mountain. Lou Cheng, after watching many of his fight videos, came prepared. His tendons flicked and he switched to the northerly wind footwork to duck the bump swiftly. He turned around and concentrated his force to throw a whip kick at the rival's back.


      Bam! Yu Zhi flew out, hitting the ground really hard. Tiles were smashed and small pieces of rocks flew up into the air.


      He struggled on the ground but couldn't pull himself together to get up. If it was another fighter, he would have been killed long ago and the referee would have interfered long ago.


      The referee glanced at Lou Cheng, knowing Lou Cheng had no intention to continue striking. He then raised his right hand and announced the result,


      "Round two, Lou Cheng!"


      The audience in the stadium was in a dead silence. Liu Chang and Chen Sansheng in the broadcast studio were left speechless.


      It was too fast… And too brutal…


      Nobody knew what to say at that moment.


      After a moment of silence, the audience's passion was ignited. Shouts and yells came from the stands.


      "One vs three!"


      The shouts gathered and formed a flood.


      "One vs three!"


      "One vs three!"


      "One vs three!"




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     373 One Against an Entire Team
      "One-versus-three!"


      "One-versus-three!"


      Lou Cheng smiled as he watched his teammates cheering him on wildly. He turned his gaze toward the seats of the Hudong University team. The thin and tall Wu Yong was gradually rising to his feet, wearing a solemn expression.


      It seemed rather pointless to leave a Professional Ninth Pin opponent to his brother-in-law…


      Everyone could also tell that he still had the strength to continue. If he left the arena now, he would be blamed for being arrogant. This was a form of disrespect toward Wu Yong…


      Besides, he had never fought three matches in one go. He wanted to try it!


      If he had already defeated two of them, what did it matter if he added another one? He might as well go for it!


      With his decision made, Lou Cheng shifted his feet and once again adjusted his body into the proper stance to indicate he was ready for the third round. Inside, he was getting excited.


      Whatever life experience he had, however mature he gradually grew, none of that could mask the fact that he was still just a 20-year-old. Vigor and vitality had yet to leave him.


      Wasn't there a song that described such a feeling? The song probably meant that no matter how a person aged, the young person he once was would always remain in his heart.


      The moment Lou Cheng made a stance, the audience understood his intentions and began another wave of cheers.


      One-versus-three was not a common sight in the finals of National University Martial Arts Competitions!


      …


      In the studio, the host, Liu Chang, was laughing. "Looks like Lou Cheng really plans to fight three matches."


      Chen Sansheng shook his head with a smile. "It can't be helped. In a situation where your opponents are clearly stronger, one mistake will lead to your demise. We could already predict the result from when Han Peipei failed to avoid Lou Cheng's newly-learned Nine Words Formula. Earlier, I predicted Yu Zhi would be a live target, but I didn't think he would lose so quickly and badly."


      "Exactly. I thought he could take at least a few moves from Lou Cheng with all that fat on his body. Who knows…" Liu Chang sighed.



      In the end, Yu Zhi was defeated effortlessly while his team was having a three-game losing streak. That was too embarrassing!


      "He can't help it. Yu Zhi's method is to force his opponent to fight him recklessly. With such circumstances, coupled with his personal aptitude, it is too much to ask for him to defend himself against Lou Cheng's simplified physical invulnerability movements. It is only a matter of time before he loses." While staring at Wu Yong, who was slowly making his way to the arena, Chen Sansheng said, "Lou Cheng's balance of the Dan realm and qi and blood have attained perfection. Few can avoid his attacks. It is not unreasonable for Yu Zhi to lose."


      "The third round is starting soon. Sansheng, can you please briefly comment on the match earlier?" Liu Chang chimed in, keeping a firm hold of the broadcast timing.


      "The details were as I expected and I have nothing to add." Chen Sansheng paused before continuing, "As for Lou Cheng, he managed to raise his combat effectiveness with powerful movements against Peng Leyun in November last year. He barely reached the level of Sixth Pin with many obvious shortcomings. But now he is a true Sixth Pin fighter in all senses of the word."


      "Oh, wait, no. Isn't he still uncertified as a Sixth Pin fighter and still in an Eight Pin? A 20-year-old Eight Pin fighter is just so-so." Liu Chang was actually sharing a popular joke in Weibo.


      Chen Sansheng smiled good-humoredly. "Putting aside Peng Leyun and the rest, Lou Cheng's power makes him truly deserving of the title 'God's Favored One.' He is not merely a candidate!"


      …


      "Haha! I am getting embarrassed by all the compliments from the commentators. Modest! We should be modest." Eternal Nightfall, also known as Yan Xiaoling, made a post with an overjoyed emoji.


      "Exactly! I feel embarrassed on Lou Cheng's behalf!" Wonton Seller sent a dancing emoji.


      "I don't want to say anything! Just one-versus-three! One-versus-three!" Brahman sent an emoji waving a flag.


      …


      "You girls only know how to fawn over Lou Cheng. Can't you contribute something more substantial?" Unparalleled Dragon King sneered. "I say that fatty was unlucky to have met Lou Cheng. He might've won if his opponent was some Sixth Pin fighter without a supernatural ability or simplified physical invulnerability!"


      "His fighting strategy was restricted and his teammates were too weak to support him. What could he have done?" Road to the Arena chimed in, shrugging his shoulders.


      Flying Horse laughed. "I laughed so hard at that fatty's tragic expression earlier! When he saw that Han Peipei had failed to cause any damage to Lou Cheng, he probably lost all hope."


      "Good thing the opponent was the fatty! If it was someone else, he would have been killed by this series of bursts with red blood and white fluid spouting out! Don't get any twisted thoughts! I meant his brain!" Okamoto's Fan made a joke.


      With the defeat of the two leading players, Songcheng was practically guaranteed their victory. That certainty made the forum lively and everyone relaxed and happy.


      …


      In the seats for the Songcheng team, Yan Zheke changed her posture to sit in a graceful manner and took a secret glance at her cousin. She wanted to know what Lin Que thought of Cheng taking on all three fighters himself.


      Lin Que was still wearing his thin jacket and an indifferent look on his face. He did not show even the slightest desire to fight.


      He had zero motivation to bully a Professional Ninth Pin fighter or join this unimportant match.


      He might as well wait for Cheng to fight the third player himself! Yan Zheke finally relaxed and turned her attention back to the arena. Li Mai and the rest already had their phones out and became part of the audience, ready to record the first victory for the Songcheng University Martial Arts Club in a National Competition after so many years!


      On the arena, Yu Zhi barely managed to stand with his hands propping his body. His face was beaten black and blue, with blood gushing down his nose.


      He nodded at Lou Cheng and then walked toward the stone steps, his fat quivering along with each of his steps. Though he seemed to be staggering, he took steady steps.


      Lou Cheng looked at the fatty as he left and at the man-shaped pit. He could not help sucking in a breath, impressed by his opponent's capacity to take beatings.


      Even if this fatty was hit by a car someday, he would probably just turn around, dust himself off, and leave safe and sound.


      If it was Lou Cheng, he would've definitely been badly injured if he used his flesh to take on the great force instead of using his strength to resist the attack!


      Leaving the arena with slow steps, Yu Zhi looked down at the path. An inexplicable regret suddenly overcame him.


      His four-year martial arts career in university was nearing its end…


      After exchanging a look and a wry smile with Yu Zhi, Wu Yong finally unloaded his mental burden and went onto the arena step by step.


      In his opinion, the only way to win was if a meteor suddenly crashed onto Songcheng and destroyed them. Otherwise, it was impossible!


      So he decided to throw all his worries away and just enjoy fighting a Sixth Pin fighter of the Dan stage!


      After stopping in front of Lou Cheng, he entered his stance. His gaze turned to his opponent.


      Lou Cheng changed his center of gravity to his lower body and then extended his hand to invite Wu Yong to attack.


      The referee did not make any delays and waved his hand.


      "Begin!"


      Crack, crack, crack. All the muscles and bones within Wu Yong's body were roaring as if a sports car was accelerating.


      In the withering wind, he flashed to Lou Cheng's side with flexible footwork. His toes turned inward as he twisted his back and waist, wielding his arm like a whip.


      Bang! Lou Cheng raised his arm to block the attack without moving his feet.


      Taking this opportunity, Wu Yong kicked with his left foot. He was sure no one would notice in advance since his muscle movements had cloaked the scuffing noise.


      Fatal Hidden Kick!


      However, just as Wu Yong was beginning to gather strength in his leg, Lou Cheng's kick had already landed on his foot to stop him.


      Suppressing his disappointment, Wu Yong began pounding Lou Cheng from all directions while flashing around him with his marvelous footwork. But Lou Cheng was always able to block his attacks in time without moving. It was as if he was a master demonstrating to Wu Yong.


      Wu Yong was about to take a step back to rest after a round of crazed attacks when Lou Cheng swung his right arm at Wu Yong's fist.


      He immediately withdrew his fist in panic, but Lou Cheng had caught Wu Yong's wrist in an instant, pulling his opponent back at him.


      Unable to withstand Lou Cheng's great force, Wu Yong's body began to be pulled forward. Lou Cheng took this opportunity to lower his shoulder and stretch his elbow against Wu Yong's chest.


      The referee secretly yawned before raising his arm.


      "Third round, Lou Cheng wins!"


      "Songcheng University Martial Arts Club wins this match!"


      Not bad, not bad… Wu Yong breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the referee's voice. He felt that he had given his usual performance and did not bring shame to his team.


      Of course, it was all thanks to Lou Cheng's grace for not using Force Concentration and killer moves with his supernatural ability against him.


      He straightened his body and his eyes suddenly became frozen. He realized a very painful fact.


      Since the fight began, Lou Cheng had not moved his feet a single step!


      Lou Cheng had beaten him just by standing still!


      The audience burst out with enthusiastic cries.


      "Three kills!"


      "Three kills!"


      "Three kills!"


      The audience eventually changed their slogan under someone's guidance. The cheering gradually became united, echoing in the stadium.


      "God's Favored One!"


      "God's Favored One!"


      "God's Favored One!"


      Curving his lips, Lou Cheng waved his arm at the excited audience. He left the arena and returned to the seats for Songcheng. His eyes visibly met Yan Zheke's.


      "The rule says whoever pulls a one-versus-three has to treat the whole team to dinner!" Like a lightbulb, Cai Zongming cut into their eye contact.


      He was feeling great in all aspects now that they were in the capital and his girlfriend was close to him.


      "What rule? Why don't I know about it?" Lou Cheng looked at him in confusion.


      Little Ming smiled smugly. "A rule that our team committee adopted unanimously."


      "Where did the team committee come from?" Lou Cheng asked humorously.


      "Just now!" Cai Zongming answered with a smirk.


      "I will treat you all to skewers here then." Lou Cheng had been planning to invite everyone to dinner to celebrate their first victory.


      "Well." Geezer Shi cut in their conversation. "Since you are not tired at all, I will replace your relaxing exercise tomorrow with coordination exercises. Don't overdo the supper."


      The next match was Songcheng versus Mingdao!


      Geezer Shi did not urge the members lacking basic knowledge of the formation to learn something related. He just made them do the coordination exercises in groups of two or three.


      "Yes, Master!" Everyone agreed joyfully.


      …


      After the dinner, Yan Zheke spent a while flirting with Lou Cheng before retiring to her room to rest.


      After telling her boyfriend good night through phone, she clicked on the martial arts forum of each portal site to see how people were praising Cheng.


      As soon as the web page appeared, the relevant titles popped up to her.


      "10 warm-up moves? So what? Lou Cheng defeated the whole Hudong team himself!"


      "It's the first one-versus-three in this competition! Lou Cheng kept fighting with skill and ease!"


      "Thanks to him, the super-death team won't die!"


      "Remove the word 'candidate'! He is the true God's Favored Son!"




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     374 Be
      Besides making the news, Songcheng's victory also resulted in a heated discussion on Weibo. Many netizens tagged the well-known verified commentator of martial arts, An All-knowing Man in Ganghood.


      "Do you have anything to say?"


      "Come on, say something."


      "I'm waiting for your comment on Lou Cheng's performance."


      …


      In the situation where most netizens were following the general trend to support the winner, An All-knowing Man in Ganghood once again made a lengthy Weibo post.


      "What do I have to say? What else can I say?"


      "I clearly expressed my thoughts in the long Weibo post I made in December last year. After gaining special kung fu and combat experience, Lou Cheng had the hope of advancing from a weak to a normal Sixth Pin fighter in April this year. Was I mistaken? Weren't those within my predictions? Did you think he had just jumped to the Inhuman stage without any signs or warnings?"


      "I mentioned his title of Favored Fighter of the Age remained suspect back then because his incredible advancement was thanks to the double awakenings of his supernatural ability. He was unlike Ren Li and Peng Leyun, who advanced step by step through hard work."


      "Such differences would steer them in wildly different paths of development. We can all tell Peng Leyun's improvement has only accelerated in the recent year. He will reach a breakthrough soon. So is Ren Li. Her improvement may not be as quick as his due to her age and the time when she began practicing martial arts. But she is still growing quickly compared to her previous performance. Lou Cheng is different. He is beginning to slow down after consuming all his accumulated benefits!"


      "He advanced to Seventh Pin in a year and took about four months to go from a weak Seventh Pin to a weak Sixth Pin. That is a terrifying speed of growth. But now? It has been four months and he has just advanced from a weak to normal Sixth Pin. Many ordinary fighters on his level could achieve the same!"


      "Of course, Lou Cheng handled his first opponent with ease and skill. He was obviously not using all his strength. What I said earlier is pretty subjective. He may be a strong or even a top Sixth Pin now, but I dare bet that he has not reached the Inhuman level yet. And he won't be reaching that level in a year at the current rate of his progression."



      "He will soon meet the first bottleneck in his martial arts career. Whether or not he can overcome it within two years will determine if he is worthy of the title Favored Fighter of the Age!"


      "As a rational, neutral, and objective observer, I will end my comment here. If Lou Cheng reaches the Inhuman level this year, I will delete my Weibo ID."


      The commentator's curt finality impressed many netizens and they made screenshots of his Weibo post in hopes of throwing it at his face one day!


      An All-knowing Man in Ganghood had several hundred thousand followers and his daily Weibo posts would be commented and shared hundreds of thousands of times. Just the money he would make from his sponsored posts was enough to make people envy him. If he really deleted the ID, what he would lose would not just be some small amount of money.


      "I heard a verified Weibo star like him could earn a few hundred thousand just by making a sponsored post…"


      "If he posted once a day, how much would he have earned by now?"


      "Well, he can't do a sponsored post every day. Either way, he wouldn't have any problem earning several million a month."


      "He is really betting a hefty fortune this time!"


      "Well, yeah. But it doesn't benefit Lou Cheng at all, except for some emotional stimulation. He is totally harming others without benefiting himself!"


      "Tsk, tsk. Don't let An All-knowing Man in Ganghood cheat you. Peng Leyun was already close to the Inhuman level in December, but four months have passed and he has not made his breakthrough yet. As for Lou Cheng, he is definitely not at Peng Leyun's level back then. Besides, his speed of progression has been slowing down. So Lou Cheng will likely need double the time to reach the Inhuman stage. Are eight months enough for him? He will most definitely need more than that. And what happens after eight months? December! And An All-knowing Man in Ganghood predicts Lou Cheng will not make the Inhuman stage this year!"


      "Damn! Doesn't this mean he is making a sure bet?"


      "He isn't betting with anyone. Even if he wins, he gets nothing!"


      "Of course he gets something! With such a victory, he will gain a bigger following and the value of his ID will shoot up!"


      "What a smart man!"


      "Let's wait for the end of the year. Let's see if any miracles happen."


      In Lou Cheng's fan forum, a heated discussion revolved around that Weibo post. Since a gambling company had opened bets for this, Yan Xiaoling gritted her teeth and bet on Lou Cheng's victory with 500 yuan. The odds were 1:13!


      "Come, come, come! Just place your bets if you want to! You won't lose much by betting a little money! If you win, you can turn a bicycle into a motorcycle!" Okamoto's Fan transformed into an old-timer gambler, rambling on the forum.


      He betted his one month's cigarette allowance on Lou Cheng!


      ...


      Lou Cheng woke up on time, calmed all his joy and excitement from pulling off the one-versus-three situation yesterday, and began his daily morning exercise.


      When he returned to the hotel to enjoy the free breakfast with Yan Zheke, she showed him An All-knowing Man in Ganghood's Weibo.


      "This guy is disgusting! He is using your victory to promote himself," Yan Zheke said angrily.


      "Reach the Inhuman level by the end of this year…" Lou Cheng felt stimulated as he digested the guy's words. With a smile, he said, "Is he sure I won't make a breakthrough by then? Though I have been slowing down in my progression, I am faring better than expected… Combat experiences have been pretty useful…"


      The breakthrough of the will was the most objective aspect of his practice! It was also one of the cores of the Dan stage cultivation. As time passed, the firmness of will would gradually affect his mind and physical body.


      Yan Zheke did not continue this topic out of worry of affecting Lou Cheng's mentality and condition. She smiled widely, showing her two dimples.


      "Let's 'surprise' him when the time comes!"


      "I will try my best! I won't be replying lest he uses me to promote himself again." Lou Cheng put a slice of toast into his mouth.


      After their breakfast, they rested for 20 minutes before walking to the booked martial arts gymnasium for their special training.


      Since the He brothers of Mingdao had long been confirmed as their next opponents, Geezer Shi gradually increased their daily coordination exercises. But special exercises would never take the place of regular exercises, or they would adversely impact every fighter's self-fulfillment. So it was only after they defeated Hudong that they centered their exercise around cooperation exercises.


      Despite his exhaustion, Lou Cheng was planning to tour the Capital with Yan Zheke after lunch and relax. But since she was competing against Mingdao, she was very concerned about it and was unwilling to leave her room. She stayed in and repeatedly watched the video of the Huahai versus Mingdao match last night, grasping every detail.


      Lou Cheng naturally obeyed his little fairy's wishes and stayed with her in the room. When they were tired from watching the video and in need of relaxation, they would naturally whisper sweet nothings and become intimate with each other.


      Basking in his girlfriend's affection, Lou Cheng thought it was much better staying like this than visiting the forbidden city or going cherry blossom viewing!


      …


      In the female dormitory of Capital College.


      Wearing a ponytail in a hairstyle that exposed her forehead, Qiu Hailin walked quickly to the dorm.


      During this period of time, she felt like she was living in an imaginary world. Whether she was in the dorm, classroom, or the Student Council office, she could hear most students and teachers discussing the final of National University Martial Arts competition excitedly even though most of them barely paid any attention to martial arts before!


      If it was just that, Qiu Hailin would not have thought the world felt imaginary. However, the name that was always on the lips of her classmates and teachers was incredibly familiar! It was Lou Cheng!


      The frequency of Lou Cheng's name mentioned was only next to Ren Li and Peng Leyun's names!


      To her, Lou Cheng was simply her highschool classmate and a classmate she would occasionally see during her break. To have people around her talking and praising him made her feel like she was in a dream.


      She was in the audience during the provincial Youth Tournament, where those around her all knew Lou Cheng personally. When she heard their discussions and exclamations, she merely thought Cheng had become powerful and was no longer someone from their world. That was all.


      When she returned to Xiushan, the tournament ended and the hype was all gone. At most, her parents and relatives would casually ask if Lou Cheng was her highschool classmate. They did not ask anything else. In other words, Lou Cheng did not invade her daily life then.


      But now, Lou Cheng was often brought up by classmates, familiar or not, and wisdom-preaching teachers. Their words often echoed in her ears. Even her good friend and roommate, Ding Yixin, had become a big fan of Lou Cheng!


      Suddenly, an unusual thought came to Qiu Hailin.


      What if she told them Lou Cheng was her highschool classmate and that they had a pretty good relationship? How would they react?


      With much anticipation, she opened the door and saw Ding Yixin and her other roommates browsing Weibo and reading the news on their beds or in front of the computer. They were still discussing Lou Cheng and the He brothers.


      "What are you talking about?" Qiu Hailin deliberately asked.


      The fair-skinned, ordinary-looking Ding Yixin answered excitedly, "The Martial Arts Competition. The He brothers' formation will definitely fail to contain Lou Cheng."


      "Lou Cheng?" Qiu Hailin took the opportunity to ask, "Which Lou Cheng are you talking about?"


      "What is wrong, Hailin?" Ding Yixin smiled in confusion since her friend used to ignore their discussions about the Martial Arts Competition. "Lou Cheng and you both come from Xing Province!"


      "He is also from Xing Province? Show me his photo!" Qiu Hailin showed her surprise and excitement.


      Ding Yixin gave her the phone. "Meet your fellow townsman…"


      She suddenly heard Qiu Hailin cry in a low voice, "My classmate!"


      "Your classmate?" Ding Yixin and the other girls widened their eyes.


      "Yeah, he is my highschool classmate. We are quite close. H-He is famous now?" Qiu Hailin unlocked her phone to show them her photo with Lou Cheng that she had prepared for this moment.


      "It is true…" Ding Yixin was overcome with excitement and rushed down her bed to pull on Qiu Hailin's sleeve. "I didn't know! To think you were such an important person! Hurry up and tell me how Lou Cheng was like in the past."


      "You boy-crazed girl! Hailin, can you please get Lou Cheng to give me some signed photos?" Du Yiyi rolled her eyes at Ding Yixin.


      The girls chattered on with Qiu Hailin happily, sharing stories about Lou Cheng in highschool. Under their gleaming eyes, she felt a great deal of unconcealed satisfaction.


      When they calmed down, she realized that she should check when Lou Cheng's next match would be and decided to watch it if she had the time.


      "Oh, it is tomorrow night…" Qiu Hailin murmured to herself.


      Songcheng versus Mingdao!




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     375 Three United as One
      7 PM in the female dormitory of Capital College.


      After failing to buy tickets to the match, Qiu Hailin and her roommates were parked in front of their computer to watch the broadcast. The host, Liu Chang, and special guest, Chen Sansheng, were already seated in the studio. The only difference was that the snacks that would typically be on the table in front of her were replaced with a bottle of yogurt.


      "Lou Cheng and his team are in the first match today, right?" Qiu Hailin asked.


      "Yeah…" Ding Yixin replied vaguely, her mouth stuffed with delicious salted egg yolk biscuits.


      "I heard that there is a special rule this year?" asked Du Yiyin as she tore open a bag of snacks. She was never keen on martial arts competitions but was buoyed by the lively atmosphere this time.


      Ding Yixin drank a gulp of water and said with satisfaction, "That is for sure. The three brothers of Qingdao, no, Mingdao, will most definitely enter the match together. The news said that they have already applied for the special competition format to fight three-versus-six!"


      Would that not benefit Songcheng greatly? Qiu Hailin was confused but hesitated to bother them with another question. She turned her gaze to the screen and carefully listened to the special guest.


      In the studio, Liu Chang was leading the conversation.


      "The match today is important to both Songcheng and Mingdao. If the former loses, they can basically say goodbye to the national competition. If Songcheng fails, they will be at a disadvantage in the following group competition."


      "Shanbei has already won two rounds and the Capital has also been performing well. They will likely emerge winners of their groups. The teams in other groups won't want to come second and meet them in advance."


      Chen Sansheng joked, "To think we can see such fierce battles in the top eight between Shanbei and Songcheng, the Capital and Huahai University; I can only describe my feelings with a lyric: 'The scene is so beautiful I can't bear to see'."


      "This is actually good news. This way, more people will focus on the top-eight competition." Liu Chang looked at his partner. "Sansheng, what are the odds of Songcheng winning?"


      "Hard to say. Mingdao is also a tough team. Huahai had to fight so hard, to the extent that some of their members were injured to secure their victory," Chen Sansheng replied after thinking about it.



      "You are right." Liu Chang nodded. "The He brothers are always united and strong. If not for Xing Jingjing's illusions, Huahai would have to sacrifice even more to win. An Chaoyang would at least need double the stamina he spent."


      "Yeah, that is the biggest strength of the He brothers. They seem telepathic and they can maintain their formation while moving at high speeds, rather than just staying in their positions and suffering their opponents' attacks. That day, An Chaoyang was so concerned about this that he ended up losing." Chen Sansheng echoed Liu Chang's words. "Once Songcheng makes a mistake, it is not impossible to capsize the ship in the ditch (overturn the situation)."


      Liu Chang burst out laughing. "How are they a ditch? With their strength, Mingdao can be considered a river. Their direct attacks can overcome their opponents' advantage in numbers and even restrain their strength. But Lou Cheng can launch a spiritual attack with the Bin Formula of his Nine Words Formula. That might just be more terrifying than the He brothers' formation."


      "That was why I said Hudong is Mingdao's foil. If they just keep Wu Yong and three substitutes away from the match and conserve their strength, with Yu Zhi as the fighter and Han Peipei launching her infrasonic waves, do you think the He brothers could take the successive attacks of a monster?" Chen Sansheng smiled. "I noticed that Lou Cheng's Bin Formula has to be used with the corresponding hand seal and visualization. It is probably directional. Even if it is not, the one who directly faces Lou Cheng's attack will typically be the one most heavily injured. The effect would be reduced for the rest. This way, the He brothers would not be totally at a loss."


      Liu Chang took charge of the conversation, concluding the topic with, "I am really looking forward to the match after your explanation. Sansheng, have you noticed the heated discussion in Weibo recently?"


      "You mean An All-knowing Man in Ganghood betting on Lou Cheng not being able to reach the Inhuman level within the year?" Chen Sansheng was also a Weibo star in his own right in the martial arts circle. He had met An All-knowing Man in Ganghood several times and he was rather familiar with him.


      "Yes. What do you think? Who do you think will win the bet?" Liu Chang smiled.


      Chen Sansheng replied diplomatically, "Hard to say. Lou Cheng is a fighter that specializes in creating miracles. He almost always overturns others' predictions. But An All-knowing Man in Ganghood makes sense too. I am in a dilemma! I think both have the chance to win. But after much consideration, I decided to bet on Lou Cheng…"


      "Huh? Why? Your honest hand betrayed your mind?" Liu Chang teased.


      "Not really. I just think the odds are stacked against Lou Cheng. I didn't spend too much money, but if a miracle happens, I will be making a fortune," Chen Sansheng joked self-deprecatingly.


      Liu Chang shook his head. "How do you think gambling companies make their money? If you bet on the one with the lower odds, you are basically feeding them money. Okay, let's stop here. Let's look at the highlight reel of the previous matches of both teams."


      "Can you even piece together Lou Cheng's first two matches into a highlight reel? In total, they just make up dozens of seconds," Chen Sansheng joked as he waited for the countdown.


      …


      In the locker room, Geezer Shi took a sip of wine and grinned at his team members.


      "I don't have anything to say about this match. You all should know the He brothers very well. Lou Cheng, Lin Que, Yan Zheke, Li Mao, Cai Zongming, Lin Hua, you guys will be participating in this match. Don't be too nervous and keep all your training in mind. Don't look at me, you brat. I am not talking about you. Just play it by the ear with Lin and fight as you like."


      "Yes!" Lou Cheng and the rest replied excitedly, showing their high spirit.


      When the match was about to begin, they had Sun Jian, He Zi, and Wang Dali join them. They formed a circle and put their hands together.


      "Definite victory!"


      Definite victory for Songcheng!


      If they won this match, they would be a national top eight team!


      Even if Hudong won against Huahai and their own team lost the coming match, both teams would still meet in the next stage. But the Songcheng team was confident in dealing Hudong a fatal defeat when that time comes!


      After yelling their slogan, Lou Cheng opened the door and was the first to step out. He was immediately surrounded by cheering and flashing lights!


      …


      Over at the Mingdao team, He Yifang was staring in annoyance at his youngest brother who was still gaming on his phone.


      "Can't you just stop a little? We are fighting in the next match! If we lose again, we will have to pack up and go back to school."


      "Okay, jeez. Just let me finish this round. Damn it, I am just playing a game, but I still see someone doing PDA," He Santai replied without even looking up. "Brother, why are you so concerned about this competition? You are still a third year. You still have a year to improve."


      "Peng Leyun and Ren Li are also third years… Our period of quick advancement has ended. At most, we will advance to Seventh Pin next year. Our progression will be very limited. However, Peng Leyun and Ren Li are basically at the Inhuman level. Maybe even Lou Cheng too. What damned chance do you think we have? Do we even have to fight after I graduate and leave just you two on the team?" He Yifang said angrily, disappointed that his two younger brothers had failed to live up to his expectations.


      The substitutes beside them were listening in on their daily argument with great enthusiasm, without any stress or worries about the upcoming match.


      When He Santai finally finished his game and looked up, he said with great surprise, "Brother, I didn't know you were this kind of person… Y-You actually want the championship!"


      One should really never judge a book by its cover!


      "N-No…" He Yifang replied, stunned.


      "If not, why do you care so much about Peng Leyun, Ren Li, and Lou Cheng reaching the Inhuman level? Either way, there won't be any problem for us to advance from the team competition next year. As for the top four, we will have to see our luck." He Santai's expression said that he thought his brother was overthinking matters.


      He Yifang was perplexed. "You are not wrong, b-but…"


      He still felt like something was off, but he could not pinpoint what.


      He Erlong chimed in, saying, "Everyone should have their ambitions…"


      Before he could finish, his two brothers turned around to look at him.


      "Shut up, you anime addict!"


      "Throw away all your figurines before saying that!"


      After a short period of silence, their coach, who had zero presence, clapped his hands.


      In a faint voice, he said, "It's time to go…"


      The brothers exchanged glances and gradually rid themselves of their usual demeanor. Their eyes blazed with visible fighting desire.


      "Let's go!" they spoke in unison as if only one person was speaking.


      Songcheng might've been a strong team, but they wouldn't wait around to be defeated either!


      And it was not a completely hopeless situation.


      …


      With the number of new posts on Lou Cheng's fan forum dwindling, Yan Xiaoling and her roommates returned their attention to the screen. Nine fighters from both teams had stepped onto the arena.


      Yan Zheke was standing with his back against Lin Hua's. So was Cai Zongming and Li Mao. Lou Cheng and Lin Que were standing in front of them, looking at the He brothers led by He Yifang, who stood in a triangle.


      There was no talk time under the special competition format. The referee allowed both sides one minute to adjust themselves before raising his right hand.


      "Begin!"


      Thump!


      The He brothers walked to the side in uniform steps. Their movements were neat as their feet touched the ground. From afar, they looked like copies of the same person sticking to one another.


      Thump! Thump! Thump!


      They were walking down the same path at the same speed. To the audience's surprise, they were still able to maintain their position and distance while moving at high speeds. It seemed they were planning to move around Lou Cheng to directly attack Yan Zheke and Lin Ye with their abnormal flexibility and agility.




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     376 Separation to Mount a Joint Attack
      "Isn't that the f*cking Kage Bunshin no Jutsu?"


      "Besides their height and appearance, they all look the same!"


      …


      When the second the match started, comments like these sprang up in every forum, Weibo, and on-screen comments section. On the arena, Lou Cheng shook his wrist and created two balls of silver light and fire respectively. The two balls instantly blocked the path of the He brothers in the air and on the ground.


      Burning Ice and Flame!


      Like an irritated cheetah, he tightened his leg muscles without any hesitation and turned himself sideways in a flash. He pounced on his opponent's back with a deadly killer move.


      Yan Zheke and Lin Hua kept very close together. They stepped forward slowly to face their opponents directly, with Lin Que, Li Mao, and Cai Zongming rushing up to them to attack the opponents from both sides.


      Just then, the He brothers came to an abrupt stop and turned around to face Lou Cheng. The ball of silver light on the ground and the fireball floating in the air brushed past them, exploding into nothingness not far away and resulting in flames and fog!


      Lou Cheng approached them just on time without slowing down. With a great kinetic energy propelling him, he straightened his back and waist. He withdrew his right arm and threw a Forward Punch at He Yifang, who was in the center of their formation.


      Using his arm as a sword to fend Lou Cheng's attack, He Yifang felt a flood of force much greater than his the moment he touched Lou Cheng's fist. It forced him to take a step back with his body quivering.


      He Yifang had already anticipated Lou Cheng's action. He pulled on his shoulder with a sudden strength, drawing a semicircle with his sword-like arm. He changed his whipping and chopping motions to dragging and pulling, forcing Lou Cheng's punch to land on himself to weaken its terrifying force.


      Under their combined impact, He Yifang's center of gravity swayed. His body was pulled forward and his feet were forced apart.


      He Erlong and He Santai, who had been flanking him half a step behind, made their moves separately but simultaneously. One stabbed Lou Cheng's waist with his right arm and the other stepped to whip between Lou Cheng's legs, in perfect coordination with He Yifang's movements.



      Heaven and Secular World Sword Formation!


      Lin Ye and Yan Zheke were not their targets. They had just made a feint eastward, while truly attacking westward!


      Their true purpose was assaulting the leading player of the opposing team just as the match was beginning and the opponents were off guard!


      In the face of the terrifying attacks from both sides, Lou Cheng took a quick breath to make his qi and blood flood back into his Dantian so his body would remain upright.


      Boom!


      With force emerging from his Dantian, Lou Cheng swiped at He Erlong's right fist with his hand as if he was playing a pipa. An electric current coursing through his coccyx triggered his lower leg to kick at He Santai as he stood on the other leg like a golden rooster.


      From the looks of it, it seemed that Lou Cheng had made this series of movements haphazardly. The truth was that he had made careful and calculated moves, clearly understanding what his opponents wanted to do.


      Thud! Bang!


      He Erlong's fist was stained with five blood streaks. He Santai's whipping leg was hurled away by the force of Lou Cheng's kick.


      Lou Cheng still took the upper hand when facing two opponents!


      If Lou Cheng was their only opponent, the retreating He Yifang would have moved forward to attack Lou Cheng's vital parts. He would make the most out of the constant rotating feature of their formation, something even a mighty Sixth Pin fighter of the Dan stage would have difficulty escaping from. However, Songcheng had a size advantage over them. Lin Que, Yan Zheke and Cai Zongming were closing in!


      He Yifang naturally had no desire to be besieged right at the start of the match. He took several steps back, turning around. Taking note that Lou Cheng was preoccupied with his brothers, He Yifang focused his strength at his feet and dashed to the front of Yan Zheke and Lin Hua. He ferociously twisted his waist and back and threw his arm.


      Smack!


      His fist slammed onto Yan Zheke's face like the point of a sword.


      Yan Zheke did not panic. Following her daily training, she stood with her toes inward and raised her arm to block his fist.


      Lin Hua did not make any defensive moves. She took a small step forward and made a Downward Cut with Fist!


      Their modus operandi was having each take up defense and attack respectively when it came to facing just a single opponent.


      He Yifang abruptly gave up on pumping strength into his feet and dashed behind Yan Zheke in an eerie grace. He not only tore through the girl's defense, but also rendered Lin Hua's attack useless.


      Smack! With his center of gravity lowered, He Yifang punched Yan Zheke on the right side of her back.


      He Yifang would've most definitely punched his opponent on the backbone had it been anyone else. But when it came to a beauty like Yan Zheke, he could not help restraining himself.


      It was just like what someone had once said. Good looks were basically equal to the supernatural ability of charm!


      On the other side, He Erlong, whose fist Lou Cheng had injured earlier, took the chance to dash away from Lou Cheng while he was in his golden rooster stance. He turned to pounce at the two girls without hesitation, throwing his left arm at Lin Hua, who was trying to help Yan Zheke.


      He Santai jumped to turn around with his toes on the floor, dashing to Li Mao and Cai Zongming like the wind. Noticing his intention, Lin Que changed his direction halfway to rescue the girl. On the other side, Lou Cheng put down his leg to rush to his girlfriend.


      It was another rotating pattern of the Heaven and Secular World Sword Formation, dividing the six Songcheng fighters into two groups!


      Yan Zheke felt helpless knowing she was unable to defend herself. Just then, she recalled scenes that had left a deep impression on her, and those taught her to imitate her boyfriend's reaction. She immediately bent down, taking the chance to lean to her side and whip her tightened leg backward as a Front Sweep!


      Pang!


      She blocked He Yifang's arm with her foot just in time to save herself from his fatal attack. But her kick did not touch her opponent for she was much weaker compared to He Yifang, who had been in the Dan stage for a long time. If she borrowed his force to straighten herself, she would be instantly trapped in his upcoming string of killing movements.


      An idea came to her. Instead of withdrawing her leg, she pulled the fascia in her leg taut to prevent it from bouncing. She stepped on He Yifang's arm, using the rebound force to reach her approaching boyfriend.


      Not wanting to give up his chance, He Yifang closed into the girl who had not steadied her feet yet.


      Beside them, Lin Hua was barely able to hold on after taking He Erlong's punch.


      At this moment, Lou Cheng had grown massively as he had transformed into a giant. With his muscles bulging, he approached He Yifang and punched him with his tightened arm. A ball of light emerged from Lou Cheng's hand, flying to He Erlong to save Lin Hua.


      Instead of dodging or trying to protect himself, He Yifang tightened all his muscles, tendons, and vessels. He jumped a small step, fending Lou Cheng's attack with his arm.


      Bang!


      The moment their arms collided, He Yifang was forced to take a few steps back to reduce the force pouring into him. On the other side, He Santai gave up trying to attack Li Mao and Cai Zongming and instead turned around to pounce on Lou Cheng's back like an eagle. He was obviously trying to attack Lou Cheng from both sides with his brother. He Santai moved so quickly that Lin Que, Cai Zongming, and Li Mao were immediately left in his dust.


      Another rotating pattern of the Heaven and Secular World Sword Formation, Rotating Cloud!


      Yan Zheke had finally steadied herself and turned to knock into He Santai with her air-piercing arm. She wanted to replace her boyfriend to block the attack from behind.


      But neither she nor Lou Cheng were telepathic. Unlike the He brothers, they were unable to cooperate perfectly. Lou Cheng's momentary hesitation in the face of He Santai's attack left a chance for He Yifang to take advantage of. He Yifang retreated several steps to get rid of Lou Cheng and dashed to where Li Mao and Cai Zongming were.


      Simultaneously, He Erlong had also given up his pursuit and attack of Lin Hua. After dodging the Ice Burning, he pounced on the two other guys and attacked from both sides along with He Yifang.


      Bang!


      He Santai blocked Yan Zheke's elbow and took the chance to change his direction, dodging Lin Hua's attack from behind. While drawing a semicircle with his flashing figure, he also rushed to Cai Zongming and Li Mao.


      Cai Zongming had never felt frightened while standing in the arena, but when he saw that they were trapped in danger within seconds, he felt his heart doing a complete somersault. He immediately calmed himself down, visualizing an avalanche in his mind as he threw a blast punch at the quickly approaching He Yifang.


      On the other side, Li Mao used his Brutal Blizzard and swiped at He Erlong with his tightened leg.


      Bang! Bang!


      Hands chopping and legs kicking, it didn't take much of He Yifang and He Erlong to fend off these attacks. Knowing that his brothers were safe, He Santai dashed across them without stopping and punched Cai Zongming and Li Mao on their faces with both fists.


      One immediately retreated and the other desperately moved his head downwards. Their stances were immediately broken and they were about to be badly injured by the He brothers.


      Luckily, Lin Que and Lou Cheng arrived on time. The brothers had no choice but to give up risking a continued attack on the poor guys. They split their formation once again, leaving the fighting center in different directions.


      Smack, smack, smack! Bang, bang, bang! As the match continued, the He brothers dashed back and forth between Lou Cheng and his teammates as if they were practicing their stances. Sometimes they would march separately, sometimes they would make a joint attack. But they never stopped for more than several seconds, never letting their fighting desire get ahead of them. Lou Cheng and his team were forced to follow them without any time to catch their breaths.


      In the studio, Chen Sansheng cheered for the He brothers' performance. "The Heaven and Secular World Sword Formation! How unique and powerful!"


      The core of a formation was not only defense but also moving separately to make a joint attack!


      "Sansheng, can you please tell us why this is formation so great?" Liu Chang asked with a smile, knowing it would still take some time before this round came to an end.


      Wearing the same smile, Chen Sansheng replied, "We can see that the He brothers may be outnumbered, but they have been on the offense from the start. That is because they have their footwork and the rotating pattern of their formation to give them an advantage."


      "Those who are interested can take this chance to observe their moving routes and the changes in distance between them. It is very interesting."


      "Considering the stamina of the four weaker Songcheng fighters, the He brothers will wear them out If they keep going at it like this. Never mind their other weaknesses. Very soon, it will be Mingdao who will have the advantage in numbers!"


      "That sounds pretty neat, but Lou Cheng and his teammates don't seem like they are using their full strength. He hasn't even used his Nine Words Formula," Liu Chang said as if he had recalled something.


      Chen Sansheng made his analysis. "It might not work even if Lou Cheng uses the Formula. The He brothers have been keeping a perfect distance between one another. Lou Cheng could at most affect one of them. Not to mention, the brothers could always save each other in time. If Lou Cheng could use his Nine Words Formula continuously, he would have broken their formation with the Bin Formula, followed by the Xing Formula. He obviously isn't capable of that."


      "That sounds reasonable!" Liu Chang sighed with emotion.


      On the arena, Lou Cheng noticed Yan Zheke and Lin Hua had deliberately led the He brothers to a good position. He made an eye contact with Lin Que and raised both hands to draw ancient characters in the air while speaking loudly at He Yifang.


      "Bing!"


      He Yifang was stunned, feeling like he was surrounded by thousands upon thousands of soldiers and their horses.


      He Erlong and He Santai rushed to save him without hesitation.


      As long as He Yifang could pull himself through the two-second shock, the effect of the Bing Formula would be greatly weakened.


      Just then, they once again heard the deep voice awaking some secret power.


      "Xing!"


      This time the voice did not come from Lou Cheng. It was Lin Que! It was the same Lin Que who they had all neglected!




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     377 Who Knows What They Were Thinking?
      "Attainment!"


      His fantastically downcast cadence rang throughout the arena. Accompanied with his silhouette flying out like a shooting star, it was enough to make Liu Chang and Chen Sansheng stupefied as they watched the live broadcast, and scared He Erlong and He Santai half to death.


      Lin Que has grasped the Attainment Formula!


      Out of nowhere, he has grasped the Attainment Formula!


      Is it possible for a fellow disciple of the same clique to acquire this kind of secret discipline?


      Thinking about of this, He Erlong and He Santai's pupils shrank into needle points. They were incapable of thinking, and their instincts had taken over.


      It was as if they had instinctively perceived something and their Qi and Blood rushed forth in a split second. They exerted all of their strength, spirit, and life force and condensing it all into one single point.


      Boom!


      The Dan Stage rushed forth in a Volcanic Eruption. The two fighters' figures bulged and the ground cracked beneath their feet as they stomped down. Their figures rose into the air like arrows shooting towards the clouds.


      Rushing towards disaster, each of their strengths on their own was enough and they had no choice but to attempt to store their power, no choice but to proceed with the plan as originally scheduled!


      The secret know-how of the Heaven and Secular World Sword Formation, Cloud Piercing Lightning Sword!


      This was an explosive upgrade in speed from their previous studies. After allowing their fellow brother in the formation to disrupt the enemies' flow and tempo, they each would have time to help and assist each other!


      Previously, the He Brothers had twisted nimbly and rotated in successive order. From beginning to end, they had maintained their abilities. Even if Lou Cheng and Lin Que could catch up, they would just run into their strength and have no choice but to react first. It was hard to tangle with the enemy and then smoothly extricate yourself.


      At Physical Invulnerability, or rather Training the inner radicular pulp to the Inhuman level, there could be a success with the inner radicular pulp. Warriors and other ambitious men who used the Vajra Body Defending Divine Skill to practice asceticism weren't up to the task. When confronting a lower ranked enemy, you always had to be cautious and proceed gently to avoid losing the forest for the trees. If you were ever not cautious, the chances were high that you would be injured and even perhaps sustain an internal injury.



      The great majority of fighters in this stage could be considered to have a strong offense and weak defense. They could create a mortal injury by hitting another person only two or three times, but the same would happen to them if they were attacked by another in the same manner. Of course, they could use Force Concentration to convert their defensive power into offensive strikes, but they were afraid they would be hit in the process. However, the He Brothers' Swordplay was quite impressive, so there was no choice but to play defense, no choice but to avoid. Even if Lin Que employed the Yin-yang Twist, it would be the same.


      Due to this and the previous rotations, the He Brothers had not only not used Cloud Piercing Lightning Sword, but they hadn't even been able to fully use their Dan Stage explosions. They had primarily focused on conserving their energy and putting a wrench in their relatively weak enemies' strategy.


      Now, however, Lin Que's unexpected Attainment Formula was perfectly in sync with Lou Cheng's Army Formula. All at once, he had thrown the rule book out the window and had no choice but to hurriedly use all of his strength in a massive display of power!


      Bang! Bang!


      The air was hit by the explosion from He Erlong and He Santai's Electric Sword as it pierced the clouds. Their distance between each other was relatively small, and very soon they'd only be a short distance from their brother Lin Que in terms of ability. Unless Lin Que made a forced attack regardless of danger, he wouldn't be able to take on He Yifang, who had nearly recovered from the Army Formula. However, if he went through this route, he not only would be leaving the arena, but there would be a real possibility of him sustaining an injury, enough to seriously influence future competitions.


      In this moment, Lin Que, who was on the verge of creating a quick and terrible shadow sonic boom, halted just like he had done every time he had used Meteor Blast in the past.


      There was an ear-piercingly shrill sound. He Erlong and He Santai had not thought that Lin Que would stop, and they threw themselves at empty space. Their opposition slid past them and took the initiative by moving to their side.


      Bang!


      Lin Que pulled back as if using an emergency brake to stop his momentum, and soon after, by channeling Force Concentration and Yin-yang Twist through the soles of his feet, stomped ferociously on the ground.


      The 16th style of the Fighting Sect, Earth Cracking!


      Clang!


      The arena shook beneath them. He Erlong and He Santai didn't have enough time to complete their Electric Sword movement before encountering this and couldn't help but momentarily lose their balance. They hadn't quite collided with their opponent, but they were in a worse position as since the Army Formula had been made, their opponents had seemingly sharpened their skills to a fine point and had reinstated their energy to no small degree. Small cracks had already split open beneath the soles of their feet and a "whooshing" sound rushed forth from the splintering rocks. Afterwards, his left foot rushed forth violently, and his entire body went backward, his head still reeling and his muscles trembling.


      Lin Que stomped his foot and also borrowed some strength to jump, as if transforming into a bold and powerful falcon. He jumped towards the half-blocking He Erlong and He Santai, who were trembling in fear at the Army Formula, and stretched out his arms. Using the power that had been taken up by the "Earth Cracking" stance, he jumped, twisted in mid-air, and landed on the ground.


      The judge beside them was immediately pulled to the side and was dizzily pulled around the arena, causing him to break away from the fight.


      Pulled to the side, eliminated!


      Lin Que had been very graceful just then. If he had truly unleashed his power, then the entire crowd would have been pulled to the side and you would have heard the sounds of their necks breaking and it would have felt like their brains had entered their chest!


      He Erlong and He Santai knew that they couldn't win, but they were unwilling to admit defeat, so they collided into one another and bounced off each other, tracing a treacherous arc towards Lin Que with the intention to take advantage of the fact that his stance had not yet settled. A chain of strikes, left and right pressed together, pressed into one.


      But this time, a strange howling emerged behind their backs. An Enveloping Shadow was coming; Lin Que was approaching at high speed!


      In the eyes of the crowd, after Lou Cheng had made the Army Formula, he'd postponed his own attack. Lin Que had hurriedly charged, stopped for a moment, then jumped and arrived in a flash.


      The hair stood up on the back of their necks and shadows appeared beneath their feet. He Erlong and He Santai's hearts trembled, and they didn't dare continue their flanking attack on Lin Que. They shifted their balance, changed their footwork, and once again traced an arc, progressing into a high-speed interweaving.


      However, without He Yifang, Lou Cheng and Lin Que could each lock into an opponent and pursue them to the end. There was no need to worry about sustaining any injuries from their dual twisting and turning attacks.


      He Erlong and He Santai really were close. Two against two, who would be scared!?


      It also wasn't just the four of them in the arena. Yan Zheke, Lin Hua, Cai Zongming, and Li Mao had already fought hand to hand with Dan Stage Mighty Warriors multiple times. Their physical strength had been seriously depleted, but they still hadn't reached their limits. They could still put up a fight.


      Against this interference, a few seconds later, He Erlong and He Santai's interweaving was gradually restricted, and the distance between them and Lou Cheng and Lin Que became shorter and shorter.


      Bang!


      Lin Hua summoned his remaining strength, quickly thrust out his leg, and nimbly kicked forward, forcing He Erlong to change direction.


      Using Mercurial Balance, He Erlong pulled back his spine just in time and dodged to Lin Hua's left side.


      However, Yan Zheke was already waiting for him. With a small hop and a skip, she lowered her shoulder and unleashed an explosive Burst Fist towards his abdomen.


      After quickly sucking in a mouthful of air, He Erlong quickly sucked in the pit of his stomach and continued to move horizontally, attempting to bypass Yan Zheke.


      However, with this kind of delay, Lou Cheng had already caught up to him and, with the force of his Qi and Blood, unleashed a vigorous Dan Stage Strike towards his legs. With extreme speed, he also kicked at his right foot fast enough to nearly create a phantom trace.


      Once again, He Erlong was unable to dodge and he focused on Force Concentration. His legs suddenly bulged and he violently kicked to the side.


      Bang!


      He Erlong was directly kicked to the side, and he quickly recovered his Qi and Blood with the Double Explosion. Lou Cheng used his rebound power and channeled it into his own body's Force Concentration, mixing the Brutal Blizzard and Dan Stage explosion.


      Bang!


      His fist rushed forward like a hammer, and He Erlong promptly braced himself by putting his arms and shoulders together.


      He pulled back one step, and then another. He Erlong repeatedly fell back and then centred himself. Frustrated, Lou Cheng once again collected his Qi and threw another punch, ferociously pouncing forward to take advantage of his opponent recently losing his stance. His right hand stretched forward like lightning, grasping towards his opponent's shoulder.


      Qi and Blood, spirit, and strength were again all one. Lou Cheng's body swelled, his back twisted, and he grasped He Erlong. Extending his arm, he then took his opponent and threw him!


      Bang!


      He Erlong's feet landed on the ground. Stupefied, he was standing outside of the arena!


      When it came down to it, Lou Cheng's consecutive strikes and Brutal Blizzard styles joined together were enough to make any Seventh Pin or Eighth Pin Dan Stage fighter doubt themselves!


      In addition, Li Mao's fist became like a whip through his grandiose "Mega Avalanche". The instant He Santai changed his stance, he thrust forward and was very near to Cai Zongming's proximity.


      Little Ming's back bowed slightly and his right arm stretched forward to block. Tangled together, his left fist rushed towards He Santai's Dantian.


      At this kind of distance, He Santai simply couldn't dodge and could only shift his shoulder and violently raise his arm. Just in time, he stretched his fist and rested it on his lower abdomen.


      Boom!


      As Cai Zongming hit, he could feel his opponents Qi and Blood, spirit, and strength all coalescing together, to the extent that it felt as if he was hitting a single point.


      He Santai had just done Force Concentration and had heard a loud booming sound behind him. It was like he had felt an explosion at the bottom of the soles of his feet that were resting on the arena, causing him to violently sway back and forth.


      Lin Que had already done the Fighting Sect's Earth Cracking!


      Bam! His Qi released and he subconsciously threw his feet down and pressed against the cracks and cracked, flying bricks in the ground, maintaining his body's balance.


      Bang! Li Mao caught up and leaned to the side, threw out his elbow horizontally, and hit He Santai directly in the spine. Cai Zongming spread his fingers, his fist wide open. Relying on his joints and tendons, he struck twice, as quick as a bullet, pressing down on He Santai's stomach and sticking to his clothing like glue!


      Ahead there were wolves, and behind there were tigers. Furthermore, Cai Zongming had already dissolved his Force Concentration. He Santai could only draw in a breath of air and watch as the judge made his decision. The crowd blasted their vuvuzelas as he heard:


      "The final result, Songcheng University Martial Arts Club wins!"


      During special competition format, there was more than one judge.


      ...


      "The final result, Songcheng University Martial Arts Club wins!"


      Accompanied by the judge's announcement, the crowd cheered and cried all around.


      ...


      "The final result, Song Cheng University Martial Arts Club wins!"


      In the live broadcast, ever since Lin Que had taken the Attainment Formula, the speechless and stupefied presenter, Liu Chang, and special guest Chen Sansheng had finally come to their senses.


      "Brilliant! I'd never thought Lin Que would say anything like that!" Liu Chang said, full of emotion.


      "I know, who would've thought?!" Chen Sansheng said in a complicated tone.


      Liu Chang thought for a moment, and with rising doubts said, "Now that Lin Que has the Attainment Formula, why is it that he and Lou Cheng never cooperated like this before?"


      "As for the matter of distance, the He Brothers are superior in this regard. They would be free from the influence of the Army Formula, and it was more convenient for them to help each other. Even though Lin Que had taken the Attainment Formula, he couldn't necessarily grasp those two or three seconds to invade and attack the opposition's spirit, let alone trap them," Chen Sansheng explained in detail.


      "No, no, no, I should say earliest," Liu Chang hurriedly corrected himself.


      "Earliest? At the earliest moment, was Lou Cheng not being attacked by the He Brothers? By turning over his hand and making the Army Formula, the He Brothers received the brunt of it. Lin Que figured that by taking the Attainment Formula, they wouldn't be able to get the upper hand on them!" Chen Sansheng analyzed the beginning of the match.


      Liu Chang shook his head and once more made a correction. "No, I should say at the beginning, when Lou Cheng used Burning Ice and Flame to stop the He brothers. At that time, as long as he made the Army Formula to control He Santai, He Erlong, and the other competitor to move their inertia forward, he could find a spare moment, an opening. Due to their distance being relatively small, it'd definitely influence them. Afterwards, Lin Que's Attainment Formula would be enough to take care of He Santai. Have I not repeated what just happened?"


      In other words, at that time, if Songcheng University had done things like this, the match would have been over in just a few seconds!


      "This... " Upon hearing this, Chen Sansheng was dumbstruck. He exerted all of his strength to try and come up with ways and factors that would have prevented Songcheng University from carrying things out in this way, but after a long while, he couldn't come up with anything. All he could do was respond with, "Who knows what they were thinking?"




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     378 Both Parties Win Ou
      "Who knows what they were thinking? Hahaha, their way of thinking was simple. They were merely planning on seizing the opportunity for a substitute, was it?" It hadn't been long since Chen Sansheng's tone changed. "Superstitious Belief Is Bad." This was barely suitable for such an important individual's thoughts to be put on Weibo. "It's enough to make you laugh."


      His remarks were akin to "The famous commentator He Xiaowei".


      The two co-workers were mortal enemies...


      "Yes, who'd have thought that Songcheng University was this strong!"


      "In the next round, Huahai risks facing being broken by Mingdao. With the two of them unexpectedly facing one another, it's like a mouse having to fight a cat!"


      "And furthermore, Lou Cheng still hasn't properly given a real show. He's been cool as a cucumber from head to toe, contrary to Lin Que, who's exposed a few of his secrets."


      "Chen Sansheng, you need to get your eyes checked. You're giving him a hard time, but he was still previously a Sixth Pin fighter. You're not seeing clearly and you still haven't properly complimented the man."


      "Who isn't a genius in retrospect?"


      In the midst of the discussion, Yan Xiaoling, aka Eternal Nightfall, excitedly swiped through Weibo. As she searched, she saw complimentary words towards Lou Cheng everywhere. Her heart fluttered and she was giddy with excitement as she forwarded the messages and said,


      "Doesn't this demonstrate that Songcheng University is stronger than Huahai? That the chances of them leaving the next round as the winner are larger?"


      Just after having sent the message, she suddenly stopped in her tracks. She'd forgotten how He Xiaowei and the others had jinxed people by forecasting their victory beforehand.


      If... if he makes his position clear on this side, then will my good intentions sabotage everything?


      As these thoughts surfaced, Yan Xiaoling began to tremble. After a second, she deleted the message that she had just sent, and then silently prayed,


      "They saw nothing, they saw nothing, they saw nothing... "



      After doing this, she switched her interface to Lou Cheng's fan forum, feeling that consulting "Unparalleled Dragon King" was the best thing to do.


      At the moment, a congratulatory post was already occupying the front page.


      "So easy!" All Good Names Are Taken By Dogs said, using an emoji.


      Brahman laughed heartily. "Haha, shame on me for being so nervous when watching. Everything was a trick all along! These idols are all rotten!"


      "Gah, they haven't even used this month's set of tricks... " Okamoto's Fan said disinterestedly. "My money is on Mingdao. I reckon if Songcheng University loses, I can at least make enough money to satisfy my needs. If Songcheng University wins, then I'll be trading my money for happiness. Either way, I can't lose... "


      Yan Xiaoling couldn't help but look with a smile and laugh at Unparalleled Dragon King.


      "My friends, Lou Cheng and them won against Huahai easily. Isn't group 1 already settled?"


      "I'll settle your head! Haven't you heard of self-restraint? Their characteristics aren't the same, their specialties aren't the same. Taking an identical opponent's behavior and judging it to be the norm is completely inaccurate!" Unparalleled Dragon King playfully scolded Yan Xiaoling.


      Yan Xiaoling "wept" and replied, "I just don't understand how to ask you for guidance! Should I act like I've been wronged, or that I'm sad, or perhaps that I'm feeling low?"


      "Alright, alright, I'll be serious. No one could have predicted that Lin Que would have uttered the phrase 'Attainment', but I'm afraid that's not all. This matches up with Lou Cheng's Army proclamation, and it just so happens that these aspects of self-control all existed in reduced form in Brother He Shishan, so beating them was fairly easy. Also, Ann Chaoyang didn't have enough energy to attack using any secret discipline and also didn't have any supernatural ability. By simply relying on martial arts strength, they were broken. At most they had Xing Jingjing's secret techniques to rely on, so of course the difficulty wasn't the same."


      Unparalleled Dragon King explained in detail, "You can see through real combat that Ann Chaoyang was at least at an ordinary Sixth Pin level. It was Lou Cheng's first time meeting a powerful enemy in a competition, and he had to take all of his strength and skill and just hope that he could win against this powerful foe."


      Yan Xiaoling paid close attention, and after a long while replied giddily,


      "Looking forward to our man Lou Cheng unleashing all of his firepower!"


      ...


      In the arena, Lou Cheng watched the He Brothers' dejected silhouettes leave the arena. As he heard the cheers and applause of the crowd, and the congratulatory blasting of vuvuzelas, he adopted a stance. For the first time, he turned and went in front of Yan Zheke with an expression of happiness, extended his right hand towards her, traced along the corner of her mouth and asked,


      "What'd you think?"


      Yan Zheke's cheeks were scarlet due to both the intensity of battle and her own excitement. Her pupils were sparkling as she looked down at Lou Cheng's palm and, gasping for air, she said,


      "Not bad!"


      Even though the He Brothers hadn't attacked her more than twice, and she hadn't quite been able to catch up with Lou Cheng and Lin Que due to their entrapments and rotations, their coordination had been quite remarkable. They again had the superiority of state, and as before, it had allowed Yan Zheke and Lin Hua to together experience no small amount of trials. It had allowed her to gain personal experience through actual combat despite her not being an Eight Pin Dan Stage Fighter capable of using Force Concentration. She'd made out like a bandit.


      The two of them laughed at one another. Lou Cheng took a step beside Lin Hua and gave her a high five while also praising her.


      "Not a bad performance!"


      As Sun Jian and Lin Hua both could not meditate, it was hard for them to penetrate and get a grasp on inner training. Under these circumstances, their martial arts strength improved slowly but surely, and the difference in level between the two them was getting smaller and smaller and was nearly equal. At this point, the more attentive Lin Hua surpassed her boyfriend regarding the competition order.


      "I feel that way myself," Lin Hua responded humorously.


      Shifting himself, Lou Cheng faced Li Mao again and stretched out his hand, laughing.


      "You did well!"


      Li Mao snorted, slapped Lou Cheng's hand, and added,


      "I really didn't think that I could last that many moves with a Dan Stage Mighty One... "


      Even though they hadn't been consecutive!


      Lou Cheng laughed in response and turned his head to the side to face Cai Zongming. He hadn't had enough time to extend his hand and speak when he heard classmate Little Ming, elated, start to speak.


      "Haha, I beat a Dan Stage Mighty One!"


      It's just that you made the last move, but... Lou Cheng's mouth twitched, and he didn't acknowledge this.


      Finally, he faced Lin Que, trying to think of what to say, but once again not coming up with anything, so he simply extended his right hand.


      Lin Que's expression was indifferent and his eyes were serene as he slapped Lou Cheng's hand and calmly said,


      "You did well."


      No need to copy me... no need to steal my lines... Lou Cheng was slightly stupefied as his brother-in-law turned and headed towards the stone steps, and he suddenly and vividly recalled Reporter Shu's "dry humor".


      It hadn't been long since the term had started, and Yan Zheke was going to hand down the Attainment proclamation to Lin Que, wait for him to grasp the basics, and then allow him to replace herself as the go-between for her grandparents.


      The background of the story was that Lin Que was also very interested in the Nine Words Formula and had wanted to get some information on it from his cousin. He would often meticulously study it, and as a result, he and his cousin would together go and consult Lou Cheng, who had managed to grasp the Nine Words Formula. Lou Cheng would, out of the goodness of his heart, disregard any kind of pricing and help them refine themselves. Combined with his own refining studies, he would then finally understand the Attainment proclamation.


      The kindhearted and sincere Lou Cheng had not concealed this and had taken the initiative by allowing Lin Que and Yan Zheke to use the Attainment proclamation, to the point of apologetically making up for it with a Swordsman Formula, which was considered to be an extension of Shushan Study.


      Look, look at these promising youths! They wouldn't dare cheat one another. They'd return any property they found to its rightful owner, wouldn't steal a penny from anyone, and had both noble character and honest disposition!


      As for whether Yan Zheke's grandparents believed this story, Lou Cheng frankly didn't care. At present, he was confident enough to enter the Ji household.


      A few members of the Song Cheng University Martial Arts Club waved their arms and sent their greetings from all around. As there were still rounds remaining in the competition, they couldn't stay for long. In succession they stepped off of the arena and met with Geezer Shi, He Zi, and others before walking towards the locker room.


      As they were walking, Lou Cheng leaned his head to the side and looked at Yan Zheke. He could only see that she was immersed in her thoughts and her eyes were shining brightly.


      "What are you thinking about?" Lou Cheng asked in a low voice.


      Yan Zheke pursed her lips, smiled with twinkling eyes, and said,


      "Thinking about how the fight went."


      Unable to conceal her pride, she added another sentence.


      "And about how good I did!"


      Pfft... Lou Cheng almost lost it. He felt that this Little Ke was too cute.


      At the locker room entrance, he turned his head and stared back at his teammates. Coincidentally, he and Cai Zongming locked eyes.


      "Hehe, I beat a Dan Stage Mighty One!" Classmate Little Ming happily repeated.


      "You finished staring or what?" Lou Cheng teased.


      Cai Zongming tsked and said, "Of course I'm not done. I'm still waiting for the competition to be broadcast so that I can cut off the last part and send it to all my friends!"


      "I've never met such a shameless individual... " Lou Cheng laughed dryly as he derided Talker.


      "Thank you for your kind words!" Cai Zongming replied, paying him no mind.


      The two still hadn't finished talking when they heard Sun Jian, who had entered the locker room first, and others shouting in unison.


      "Top eight! Top eight!"


      After Shanbei, the Songcheng University Martial Arts Club was now locked into the top eight!


      Next up would be the small group fighting for the top place!


      ...


      Three minutes later, the other locker room door opened. Ann Chaoyang, who was in the lead, walked out together with the members of the Huahai Martial Arts Club.


      Like Lou Cheng and the others, they hadn't followed with the fighting of their opponent in the same group before the match.


      While Lou Cheng and his fellows, who had just defeated Mingdao, were applying medicine and relaxing their muscles after they had taken showers, they were watching the broadcast on the television.


      In the first round, Ann Chaoyang had shown the initiative by going on stage and also faced Soul Voice Han Peipei. Under the circumstances where there were no Army or Attainment Formulas, he'd relied on his fluid and water-like footwork to rapidly reduce the distance between himself and his opponent. After doing this to a certain extent, he produced a Dan Stage Eleven Consecutive Strikes, leaning on his speed and reaction time to devour Han Peipei's sound wave feedback, just like when Lou Cheng had faced Liu Xunzhen.


      In 43 seconds, Han Peipei was defeated!


      In the second round, by using ascetic practice that belonged to the Water Sect, Ocean Star, Ann Chaoyang was able to surpass the usual strength of a Sixth Pin, and for the first time he used a Simplified Physical Invulnerable Move called Deluge. Under the circumstances, which included lingering influences of nausea and dizziness, victory was his.


      In the third round, Ann Chaoyang was first to leave the arena.


      In the fourth round, Piao Yuan easily beat Wu Yong, and Huahai defeated Hudong at the score of three to one.


      So far, the two teams in group D to advance had been confirmed. And the first one would obtain an advantageous position in the Top Eight Competition!


      ...


      In the locker room, after watching Ann Chaoyang's fight, Li Mao, Sun Jian, and the others subconsciously looked towards Lou Cheng.


      Lou Cheng patted his martial arts suit with obvious fighting desire in his eyes. He got up leisurely and said,


      "Let's go, we should get back."


      There were only four days left until the next round of the competition!


      While taking the bus back, Yan Zheke occasionally would discuss with Lou Cheng with excitement if there was something she could've improved in the previous fight in the arena and talk about the fighting tactics of An Chaoyang.


      then they hit a traffic jam half way there, and her excitement began to fade and the aftereffects began to appear.


      "Cheng, I'm going to sleep for a bit. Wake me up when we get there." Yan Zheke moved her body, looking for a comfortable position to lean her head on Lou Cheng.


      "Alright." Lou Cheng smiled and nodded.


      Not long after, Yan Zheke began to dream. As she slept, the corner of her mouth had suspiciously glistening marks that slid down.


      More than half an hour later, the bus finally got back to the hotel. Lou Cheng leaned his head and looked at the girl with a smile. Softly reaching out his hand, he reached toward her other arm, twisted his waist, and, using delicate force, managed to put her on his back.


      The entire process went smoothly; Yan Zheke wasn't the slightest bit perturbed.


      Taking her martial art suit, martial arts shoes, and other various female bits and bobs, Lou Cheng carried Yan Zheke on his back and steadily walked off the bus. Lin Hua and Sun Jian were behind him and they couldn't help but give him grief.


      "Look at the way Cheng is treating his girlfriend!"




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     379 The Pos
      Upon hearing that, Sun Jian felt funny yet awkward. They had been in love before, and were now like a long-time couple, so why should they even care about this?


      Cheng had been dating Yan Zheke for more than a year and was still full of enthusiasm. No wonder he started exercising at 5:30 AM every morning regardless of the weather.


      "He made himself the enemy of every man!" whispered Sun Jian.


      Meanwhile, he turned to the other members of the Martial Arts Club, trying to evoke an echo.


      However, after looking around, he sadly found that everyone was indifferent to it. He could even read their minds.


      Li Mao: "Excuse me, I am not in a relationship..."


      Wang Dali: "Me neither..."


      Lin Que: "What is a girlfriend?"


      Coach Shi: "My wife passed away long ago... "


      Cai Zongming: "I have a girlfriend but she is not here to see the public affection displayed by Cheng... "


      "Well... " Sun Jian covered his face and sighed.


      Carrying Yan Zheke on his back, Lou Cheng passed the hall quietly on his tiptoes. They took the lift to her room. Lou Cheng opened her bag that he knew well, took out the room card, and opened the door.


      Groping for the bed, Lou Cheng lowered his head and bent backwards, putting Yan Zheke down on the bed slowly. He then fetched the quilt and tucked her in.


      Lou Cheng stretched his body and controlled his Tremor force, massaging Yan Zheke's arms, thighs, and lower legs so as to ease the soreness.


      Then he squatted down and took off Yan Zheke's shoes and socks to give her feet a relaxing massage. Afterwards, he covered her feet with the quilt.


      Finally, Lou Cheng came to the head of the bed, bent down and kissed Yan Zheke on her lips, saying in a low voice,


      "Good night."


      After drawing the curtains and turning off the light, Lou Cheng closed the door without any sound and left the room quietly.



      The room was awfully quiet and dark, except for the little light that came in through the curtains, which made the room tranquil.


      Breathing evenly, Yan Zheke suddenly opened her left eye and looked around before getting up and gazing at the door.


      "You are such an idiot, Cheng. Good night," she said to herself, filled with joy.


      As a girl with self-discipline, she woke up when the bus stopped. She was not sleeping on Lou Cheng's back, she was just pretending to be asleep and enjoyed the tender care from her boyfriend.


      Ding! A new message came in on her phone.


      Err... Yan Zheke picked up her phone and saw Lou Cheng's smiling face on the screen. He said, "Beauty, it's time to get up and brush your teeth."


      "You! You knew I was awake the whole time?" Yan Zheke was shocked stiff.


      "The heartbeat and other body functions are different when you are asleep," said Lou Cheng. "I can easily perceive your body signals with my Listening Skill and Ice Mirror."


      Yan Zheke made a wry smile, saying, "I cannot pretend to sleep from now on? Your ability kills all the fun!"


      "No. I could play the fool as I did a moment ago." Lou Cheng was delighted.


      "…I don't want to talk anymore." Yan Zheke turned sideways, hit the pillow, and then she held it in her arms with a broad smile on her face.


      Lou Cheng was already in his own room, sitting on his bed and resting on a cushion when he typed, "Okay, stop talking and kiss me!"


      "Nonsense!" Yan Zheke suddenly remembered that she had something to ask. "Cheng, may I ask you something?"


      "Sure. What is it?" Lou Cheng found his girlfriend extremely curious.


      "What is your type?" Yan Zheke sent an emoji of a pensive look. "Dirty Tong goes crazy over the collarbone, others love long hair. What about you?"


      "Me? I'm addicted to my little fairy," answered Lou Cheng without hesitation.


      I knew it! Yan Zheke puckered up her lips and her dimples surfaced in her cheeks as she replied, "I am afraid that answer is too vague. Relax, I am not trying to trick you."


      "I mean it. Your eyes, nose and lips, ears and earlobes, neck and collarbone, I'm addicted to them all. I also like..." Lou Cheng felt a subtle lust while talking about the subject.


      "Stop! It's getting erotic!" said Yan Zheke with a blushing face.


      "Alright. What do you think I love most?" Lou Cheng restrained himself from rushing to her room to do something.


      Yan Zheke sent an emoji of a detective. "When I wear a skirt, you glance at my legs a lot, covertly sometimes. Plus, you acted weird when you gave me a foot massage. You are obsessed with my legs and feet, aren't you?"


      "Oh... Did she notice? Or is it a woman's intuition?" Lou Cheng felt a sense of shame while saying, "A little bit... And I already told you that I love every part of your body... "


      "Don't. Save it. Well, I need to brush my teeth and go to bed now. Good night!" Yan Zheke did not care, because Li Liantong had taught her that it was entirely normal. Actually, Yan Zheke was glad to know Lou Cheng's secret. She got out of the bed and ran to the bathroom.


      They said goodnight to each other. Yan Zheke was exhausted and fell asleep immediately. Lou Cheng, on the other hand, still had time to browse the web forum and Weibo, enjoying the compliments and expectations for the Martial Arts Club.


      Meanwhile, he also checked the Longhu Club web forum.


      Since Lou Cheng was busy practicing martial arts, dating, and studying, he skimmed through the news to keep up with the real world, but rarely posted any comments.


      In the last year or so, some disputes took place on the Longhu Club forum. For instance, Sun, who loved to post her selfies and won a swarm of followers, was involved in a scandal when her selfies were stolen by others, which caused the anger of the masses. People even doubted whether Sun was a she or a he. Since then, Sun had completely disappeared from the forum.


      Nevertheless, there was no aftereffect. For a month or two, another girl posted her selfies and people praised her. It was as if nothing had happened.


      A web forum reflects all of society in a more concentrated way. Lou Cheng was always an onlooker and rarely commented. Nevertheless, he learned a lot of strange information and extraordinary affairs online.


      After finishing the first page of the forum, Lou Cheng quit the app and went to brush his teeth. When he came back, he received a new message from Qiu Hailin, the Old Ban.


      "Congratulations on your success in entering the next round."


      "As usual, Old Ban's text is like an official statement... " Lou Cheng laughed and replied,


      "Thank you."


      …


      In the female dormitory of Capital College.


      "He replied! He replied!" Ding Yixin and Du Yiyin gathered around Qiu Hailin, making a big fuss.


      Qiu Hailin had a ponytail, revealing her forehead, and showed a reserved smile.


      "It's no big deal. We are good friends."


      …


      In a hotel not far from the martial arts arena in the Capital city, Ann Chaoyang, Piao Yuan, and Xing Jingjing were gathered in Ann's room, reviewing the match video between Songcheng and Mingdao.


      "Songcheng never fails to surprise us. They already had Lou Cheng, and now there is also Lin Que." Piao Yuan rubbed his bald head.


      Zhang Dongliang had not fully recovered from his injuries. He frowned and said, "Lou Cheng preserved his real strength. Only 30% of his skills were displayed."


      "More or less... " Liu Yuntao, who suffered the same injuries as Zhang Dongliang, answered with a severe face.


      Standing at a distance, Xing Jingjing looked serious.


      Piao Yuan felt elated and said, "Huh, Lou Cheng is like Peng Leyun from two years ago."


      He displayed an aura of death, formidable and unstoppable!


      Ann Chaoyang winked and smiled.


      "Last year, when Lou Cheng fought Peng Leyun, he was already like Peng Leyun. Since then, Lou Cheng has become a fighter beyond comparison."


      He had become a serious and honorable fighter!


      …


      Two days later, when Capital and Guangnan made it to the next round, the official Weibo account of the National University Martial Arts Competitions released a post, showing the key matches in the third round.


      On the left side of the post was Ann Chaoyang in a deep blue martial arts suit with a handsome face and bright eyes. He was elegant and refined in gesture. On the right side was Lou Cheng in a white martial arts suit, tall and straight. His well-proportioned features indicated he was a real fighter.


      Besides, there were slogans for each fighter on the post.


      "Once upon a time, he was a champion. After three years of preparation, he has returned to fight!"


      "He's rising in the new generation like a shooting star and he is here to fight!"


      "A crouching tiger VS a howling wolf."


      When he saw the post, Lou Cheng's blood was racing. He almost cried out after reading the last line of the slogan.




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     380 The Unparalleled
      When she saw the post, Yan Zheke turned to her boyfriend, who put on an awkward expression. Then she suddenly banged the bed with her fists and laughed wildly.


      "Actually 'Sky Shaking Roar' fits you well, especially now that you have accomplished the Nine Words Formula. Especially since you shouted and howled every time you fought."


      Lou Cheng had no choice but to agree with her. "The name sounds barbaric and vulgar. As they said, the producers of Apotheosis of Fighters in the Gaofen TV station are safe and sound thanks to the self-disciplined fighters they ridiculed. For example, me... "


      Yan Zheke stopped making fun of her boyfriend and refreshed her Weibo to see people's ideas about the upcoming match.


      Mo Jingting sent an emoji of a smiling cat, saying, "My junior master is the best!"


      Shi Yuejian of Wuyue Club used the smiling emoji with a covered mouth, saying, "It seems like a trial match between the Wuyue and Xinghai Clubs."


      The Three Gentlemen of Chen posted an article on Weibo:


      "I was asked if Lou Cheng and Ann Chaoyang were both in their best condition, who would win the match? Here is what I think."


      "Ann Chaoyang isn't a disciple of any school or sect, nor is he gifted at all. However, he holds a special insight of martial arts and has always brought forth new ideas. Finally, he reached the Dan stage and found favor in the Queen of Thought's eyes and came into contact with the top fighters."


      "Now, as we have seen, all of these years of hard work turned into actual results. He became a fighter with Sixth Pin and accomplished a simplified physical invulnerability and so on. He has proven himself to be the direct descendant of top fighters with no apparent weakness."


      "The skills of the Water Sect, the Earth Sect, and Tai Chi are taught in the Xinghai Club, but Ann Chaoyang exhibited none of these skills, which indicates he is actually something more than we have yet to see."


      "As for Lou Cheng, since the national competition, he has handled the matches skillfully and easily. Some doubt that he has been preserving half of his strength. Even if it's true, Lou Cheng brought us the surprise of Attainment Formula. What if he spares no effort and goes all out? I am very much looking forward to it!"


      "The first two matches cannot be used as a reference due to their limited rules. Moreover, although Ann Chaoyang has a lack of secret skills for a Spiritual attack, the vagaries of the Water Sect can cripple the opponent using similar methods. Therefore, Ann would not be at a disadvantage."



      "So, in my opinion, it would be a close contest."


      After reading the article, Yan Zheke began to skim through the comments.


      The first comment expressed Yan's feelings exactly:


      "A close contest? Is that your opinion after so much nonsense?"


      And more similar comments followed:


      "Are you really a professional commenter?"


      "You cannot be serious!"


      ...


      Yan Zheke reposted what she saw to Lou Cheng and she carried on scrolling through Weibo.


      An All-knowing Man in Ganghood said,


      "Lou Cheng seemed an unfathomable rival, but, actually, he's just mastered many skills and tricks to protect against a particular enemy, while Ann Chaoyang hasn't given full play to his strength. He's a senior fighter, more experienced than Lou Cheng, so I personally expect Ann to win."


      Superstitious Belief is Bad posted:


      "There is nothing worth predicting. Remember, what is a real fighter? He may not be one state or at least two ranks higher than his opponent, but he will always win. Regardless of whether or not you think highly of him, Lou Cheng is such a fighter!"


      More comments were popping up as soon as He Xiaowei posted on Weibo.


      "Alright. I bet on Ann Chaoyang winning the match!"


      "Wei is no less than a prophet!"


      "He has it all figured out. I gamble on Ann Chaoyang!"


      Yan Zheke put on a wry smile and blurted, "Cheng, the so-called prophet is trying to curse you!"


      While browsing through the web forum, Lou Cheng was momentarily stunned and then he chuckled. "I am not afraid of his prophecy."


      "Why?" Yan Zheke blinked.


      Lou Cheng laughed. "Because of you, my dear Coach Yan. I have your blessings."


      Ha... Yan Zheke couldn't help but laugh and pretended to be stuck in an awkward situation. "But I will fight the match this time. I can barely fend for myself... "


      "You are likely to fight against your best friend!" Lou Cheng added with a little concern. "You are evenly matched rivals in terms of strength, but her illusion supernatural ability that disturbs the air could be a thorny problem... "


      "It's fine." Yan Zheke raised her head. "As I told you, Jingjing's supernatural ability arose from her fear. In other words, the fight or flight mental state. She can make the most of that skill when she confronts male fighters. However, I am a girl and her best friend. Her true fear and intimidation may not be aroused so easily."


      "If she's in the wrong mental state, her illusion supernatural ability will be weakened. Is that right?"


      Lou Cheng suddenly saw the light. "Correct!"


      It did sound quite reasonable!


      "I know!" Yan Zheke's face lit up and her demeanor clearly showed her joy.


      "My dear Coach Yan!" Lou Cheng paid her an enormous compliment.


      …


      At 7:10 PM, April 14th.


      In Capital city, a light drizzle that moistened the climate fell all day. Outside of the martial arts arena, a flock of the audience had gathered and they came pouring in. They jubilantly talked about the impending match, a key moment in this year's competition.


      …


      In the office of the Martial Arts Club of Capital College, Shen You, Chen Diguo, and others gathered to set up the projector.


      A few minutes passed. They saw Ren Li come in with Jiang Kongchan and everyone relaxed, taking pride in that chubby girl.


      Victory was assured this time!


      …


      The members of the Martial Arts Club of Shanbei University got together to watch the live match. Martial arts lovers and idlers were also here drinking beer and making noise. The atmosphere had been electrified.


      In such a place and surrounded by hot girls, Peng Leyun and the others just ordered some mineral water while the other people kept at a distance of five steps.


      Xu Wannian was quite disappointed. He had commented that it was too crowded for everyone to watch the match in one room, so he proposed that they could find a bar and have some fun. Their coach, Huang Qing, consented to his suggestion, but the coach would join them at the bar.


      He peered at his coach, the middle-aged man with grey hair, and the severity of his coach killed all their fun.


      Ah... Let us focus on the match between Songcheng and Huahai !


      …


      Li Xiaoyuan was staying in a well-decorated hotel room. He turned on the lights and TV. There were boxes of food and snacks sitting on the table and across the carpet.


      Li Xiaoyuan put away his video games and glanced at Zhen Huansheng, the club manager, who was tanned to a deep bronze. He was awfully quiet, while Xi Meng and the others were having a lively discussion.


      "Our senior brother is stressed out... " Li Xiaoyuan combed his hair as he guessed.


      …


      In the broadcast room, with the martial arts suits of Songcheng and Huahai hanging on the wall, the host and Liu Chang took a look at the materials and laughed,


      "We will come back to Hudong and Mingdao later. Sansheng, let us talk about Huahai and Songcheng first."


      The first match tonight would be Hudong VS Mingdao.


      "What's there to talk about? All kinds of rumors and predictions are spreading everywhere." Chen Sansheng played with his pen.


      "Who will be on the list of fighters for the match tonight?" Liu Chang was trying to find a topic.


      Chen Sansheng carried on playing with his pen as he said, "That's easy. Lou Cheng and Lin Que will definitely be on the list tonight. As for the third fighter, they may choose Yan Zheke, a good substitute. As for Huahai, things get trickier. Zhang Dongliang and Xing Jingjing are close and each have their own strong points. It will not be surprising to see either of them on the list. But Zhang Dongliang has not yet recovered and I doubt that he would strive to be in the quarterfinals."


      Even while saying so, he couldn't help but sigh. "It is common to find fighters who have different levels in a martial arts club in universities. In the professional league, you would at least have to be a fighter with Eighth Pin to be Lou Cheng's substitute."


      "There is nothing we can do about that. The universities have their own concerns. There is a fixed number of good fighters the universities can recruit every year, and then every team starts on equal footing. Until Peng Leyun and Ren Li joined the game, the top fighters were getting stronger every year. However, it is not easy to find sparring substitutes." Liu Chang had hosted several times for the National University Martial Arts Competitions and he was stirred deeply. "Well, let us talk about what order Huahai and Songcheng should arrange their fighters tonight."


      "Since the fighters are at different levels, I guess Yan Zheke and Xing Jingjing will be last. But who will be the first... " Chen Sansheng laughed grimly. "The only possible way is... "


      "The only possible way?" Liu Chang interrupted.


      "A fighter this young, with such capabilities, is proud and confident. I think Lou Cheng and Ann Chaoyang are longing to fight each other at their best!" Said Chen Sansheng. He seemed immersed in his memories of when he was young and high-spirited and sweeping over the arena.


      …


      In the locker room for the Song Cheng University Martial Arts Club, Lou Cheng looked at Geezer Shi, who put on a faint smile as he was unable to suppress the fighting will and stepped forward while saying,


      "Coach, I want to be the first fighter."


      …


      Meanwhile, in the locker room for Huahai, Ann Chaoyang pulled out a headband to wind around his hair as he said in a calm tone,


      "Coach, let me take the lead."




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     381 Flying Immortal
      Huahai University Martial Arts Club's coach, Ge Lie, had often been teased by the team behind his back for being an "Akalin" (a character with minimal sense of existence in a Japanese manga). With regard to Ann Chaoyang's request, he pushed his glasses up and said,


      "Alright."


      He was a coach that had been around the universities' martial arts circle for many years. Like Shanbei and Huang Qing, he was an expert in guiding newbies, pulling out the layers of body refining training, and training fighters who had just entered the Dan stage. However, he had little experience in training talented fighters.


      With his coach's approval, Ann Chaoyang slowly stood up and straightened his body. With his hair banded up, he looked around the changing room. With a casual tone, he said to Piao Yuan and Xing Jingjing,


      "Time really flies. In the blink of an eye, we're already in our final year in school. We've less than three months left before I have to say goodbye to everyone and report at Xinghai."


      "I still remember in freshman year, when I entered the school, I was of Professional Ninth Pin. Besides carrying airs around me, I had nothing else. It was thanks to senior brothers and sisters who were kind and generous enough to accept me. Only because of your kind acceptance was I able to grow and attain Dan stage before the annual Nationals, and fight alongside with everyone else for the highest honor of the martial arts circle — the Feitian Cup. "


      "Till today, I still remember that scene clearly. Remembering how everyone tried their very best, being moved to tears by the sweat of everyone. Remembering the indescribable crazy happiness. "


      "All of this seems to have happened just yesterday. But the senior brothers, sisters, and the teammates from my year have already left here long ago. They've started on the next journeys of their lives. Before the new semester started, I considered carefully, whether I should retire earlier and head to the Xinghai Club every day to train with the Mighty Ones with Physical Invulnerability, instead of going there every once in a while."


      "I'll just be a little cheesy here. I feel that I can't let go. I want to end what I've started well. I want to share with you guys the gripping joy and moving moments. I want to pass down the 'DNA' of being a champion. I want to pass it down to generations and generations of juniors to come. I want to tell you all this one line."


      He stopped for a little while. With a solemn expression and a louder voice, he said,



      "We are champions!"


      Piao Yuan, Zhang Dongliang, and the others were all moved by his words. Even the cold-hearted Xing Jingjing's eyes wavered a little. Their hearts started to race and thump as Ann Chaoyang raised his voice into a cheer.


      "We are champions!"


      We must take back the honor that belongs to us!


      …


      Inside the locker room of the Songcheng University Martial Arts Club, seeing that Lou Cheng was asking for a fight, Geezer Shi clicked his tongue and said,


      "It's good to be young. Back in those days... Ay... Forget it. A good man never digs the past up. Go. Go and get the victory that everyone needs!"


      "Yes, Master!" Lou Cheng nodded solemnly. His energy seemed to be spilling out of every cell within him.


      Geezer Shi coughed twice. He looked towards Lin Que, Yan Zheke, and the rest.


      "I don't need to reiterate how important this match is, right?"


      "No!" Lin Que, who seemed to be infected by Lou Cheng's fighting spirit, chimed together with Cai Zongming and the rest of the team.


      "That's good that I don't need to repeat myself. One more word: don't look down on Huahai. But also, don't be afraid of them. Just think about the highest honor to be won. To win, to climb to the top, we must overtake the past champions one by one!" Geezer Shi said these words seriously. Such a rare occasion for him to do so.


      "Yes!" Lou Cheng and the rest nodded strongly. They came together in a circle again, each one had their left arm on the shoulder of the person next to them. Their right hands in the center, piled up on top of one and another.


      They looked at each other. They all pressed their right hands down and pulled them back immediately as they cheered at the top of their lungs, shouting and releasing all the nervousness and excitement within them.


      "Victory!"


      After they had released the negative energy within them, Geezer Shi turned around and opened the door of the locker room. He walked out slowly.


      Lou Cheng was about to follow him, but he was pulled back by Yan Zheke. He stopped in his steps.


      "What's wrong?" Lou Cheng asked curiously in a low and quiet voice.


      The two became last in line, shielded from view by the teammates who were in front of them. Yan Zheke did not say anything else. She grabbed Lou Cheng's clothes with both hands, got on her tiptoes, and kissed him on the lips.


      Their tongues started to entwine. The girl responded to the deep kiss for a couple of seconds before she pushed away and stepped back. She blushed and her eyes were twinkling. With her hands in a fist, she said softly,


      "Darling, all the best!"


      Lou Cheng was still recovering from the sudden sweetness. He was still trying to figure out what had just happened. After being still for two seconds, he realized what Yan Zheke meant. Happily, he said to her,


      "Darling, you too. All the best!"


      He had a hard time tearing his eyes from her moist and glistening lips. He tried his best to focus again and both of them quickened their steps to catch up with Lin Hua.


      Woo, he realized that they had been caught in action... Lou Cheng's lips arched upwards. Each step became steadier and steadier. He ignored the teasing looks that Cai Zongming was giving him.


      At the moment, the sound of the vuvuzelas echoed across the arena continuously. The arena erupted like large, passionate waves.


      Once the teams from Songcheng University and Huahai took their seats, a silver-haired judge wearing a black martial arts suit appeared in the middle of the arena and signaled to both sides. Upon seeing this, the broadcaster announced,


      "Huahai University Martial Arts Club against Songcheng University Martial Arts Club, competition start!"


      "First round, Ann Chaoyang, Lou Cheng! "


      Boom, cheers erupted. It was like an airplane had flown past close to the ground.


      Zippp!


      Lou Cheng pulled down his zipper and removed his thin jacket. He stood upright.


      On the other side, Ann Chaoyang stood up slowly and the white towel wrapped around his shoulders fell off.


      The fight between the Heavenly Sons was about to start!


      After giving Yan Zheke, Lin Que, and the rest of the team high fives, Lou Cheng started to take the steps up. With each step, his will got stronger. With each step, his momentum got stronger. Ann Chaoyang, on the other hand, was absorbing everything to keep within himself. The closer he got to the arena, the quieter he got.


      Just as they were both about to take the step onto the stage, they saw each other. When their eyes met, there was a gleam in both pairs of eyes.


      Within Ann Chaoyang, he felt that Lou Cheng was a tall and steady snow mountain. With each howl of the wind, he was closing in, giving the sense of "almighty" and "worship". Within Lou Cheng, Ann Chaoyang was like the endless oceans with waves and currents ready to take in everything, swallow everything!


      Bam!


      As their eyes met, there were sparks like fireworks being set off.


      This was a battle of the momentum, the comparison of the wills!


      Deng, deng, deng! Both men's footfalls started to be heavier with each step they took. They both arrived that their positions, forgetting the referee, forgetting the dialogue time.


      After three minutes, neither had the upper hand. The referee raised his right arm, his voice ringing in the air,


      "Start!"


      With the sound still in everyone's ears, Lou Cheng lifted both arms in a single movement. He had already visualized the lines of ancient characters in his mind. In a swift move and a low roar, a sign was born.


      "Attainment!"


      Bam, his body smashed through the air barrier, and without much effort, he closed the eight meter gap between them and appeared in the face of Ann Chaoyang. Following the strength of the movement, he slanted his body to one side. His muscles swelled up and became actual mountains of iron. He leaned towards his opponent.


      With such speed, such force, even if the person was not made of flesh and was made of iron skin, he would probably not be able to take such a blow!


      The match just started and Lou Cheng was attacking in full force. With Ann Chaoyang's current level, it was impossible for him to avoid the blow!


      Facing this, Ann Chaoyang quickly took in a deep breath, placed his weight on both feet, pulled strength from his waist and back, and pushed out his left arm.


      Just as his palm came into contact with Lou Cheng's right arm, he felt the tremendous crashing force and speed. He immediately contracted his fascia, shook his body, and took a step back.


      Bam!


      At the point where Lou Cheng's Sticky Back was blocked, he pushed a force from his waist and back. Like it was in hiding, an explosive force moved forward with the earlier force and blasted the left side of his rival's torso. The fist was surrounded in a layer of white mist, and in his mind there were the visuals of a huge frozen river.


      Frost Force! Consecutive move!


      At such close distance, Ann Chaoyang had no way to avoid the blows. He could only rely on his instincts. Two of his rib fascia vibrated, he raised his right arm, and extended his palm to block the front of the Lou Cheng's fist.


      Pam! The cold current gushed forward and the force rushed into his body, freezing Ann Chaoyang's muscles, making his joints move slower.


      However, at this time, Lou Cheng could only feel that within Ann Chaoyang's body, there were only endless oceans. After putting his Frost Force in, it seemed to disappear almost immediately, without even the slightest ripple.


      The Water Sect's core force, the Ocean Force!


      Just as the Frost Force was being neutralized by the Ocean Force, Ann Chaoyang blocked Lou Cheng's left fist with so much strength that his veins were showing. He was about to release a force to capture it, aiming to pull and tear it apart!


      Lou Cheng had already expected this. Calmly, he took in a deep breath and his left arm's muscle and fascia swelled. It swelled so much that it pushed apart the five fingers of his rival, not allowing any chance for the strength to enter deep into his body.


      At the same time, Lou Cheng's thigh muscles were raised and the tips of his toes went straight for his rival's knee joints — aiming for the common weak points.


      Pam! Ann Chaoyang seemed to have "heard" some movement. So, instinctively, he did a flying kick and used his own leg to block the sudden attack.


      Pam, pam, pam! Lou Cheng's upper body did not move at all. Both of his legs were moving nonstop. They were like hurricanes continuously kicking and aiming for the rival's knee joints and ankle joints. From the start to now, he was just attacking, attacking nonstop!


      After those two rounds of near-death battles, he clearly understood the key winning element in a match where both parties were about the same level — whoever obtained the upper hand, that person would be closer to victory. The defending party would have to waste more effort and energy or have to adapt quickly so that he or she could have a chance to fight back.


      First step first, all steps first!


      Bam, bam, bam! Ann Chaoyang was also crazy fast in kicking. Perhaps he had used the Listening Skill and had barely avoided each blow, each attack.


      When Lou Cheng saw that he would not have a chance to give a blow, he stopped suddenly and stepped onto the ground just as he released his left leg into a kick. With the force, he rebounded and threw out his elbow, shaking his right arm, releasing himself from Ann Chaoyang's left palm. He went straight for his face.


      This blow comprised of the release of the Zhu Rong Force and supernatural ability. The moment that it hits or gets blocked, it will release a blaze and burn the opponent's face, making the opponent avoid in haste, exposing weak points.


      Just at this moment, Ann Chaoyang's hairs stood on their ends. He could sense danger. He tried to catch Lou Cheng's left arm and tried to push it away so as to make Lou Cheng's whole body move backwards and lose balance.


      Following almost immediately, his torso released energy. Another hand pushed upwards and blocked the wrist of Lou Cheng's right punch.


      Bam!


      Lou Cheng's fist was pulled upwards by his body leaning backwards and the hit on the wrist. The fiery red flames brushed past Ann Chaoyang's head, burning a few strands of his hair.


      With his body leaning backwards, Lou Cheng went with the flow and retracted. Ann Chaoyang had tried so hard to turn the tables around. Since he finally managed to do it, he immediately made his move, turning defense into attack.


      However, just as he took a step with his left foot, he felt that the floor was abnormally slippery. He was losing control of his body and he was about to fall!


      Somehow, some time, the ground between the two of them was covered with a crystal clear layer of ice!


      Earlier on, with every kick, Lou Cheng's foot had released the Frost Force. He had set up a trap in secret!


      Ice Sect, 17th move, Polar Ground!


      This was one of the ways to use it!


      Lou Cheng had intentionally moved backwards so that Ann Chaoyang could fall into the trap!


      Slisshhh!


      Ann Chaoyang's left foot slipped! He lost his balance. His pupils contracted and he retracted his qi and blood.


      Although, as a unique point of the Dan stage, to use the mercurial balance to control the body was not difficult, Ann Chaoyang was very clear that his rival would definitely grab this opportunity to launch attacks. If that was the case, he would unlikely be able to make any move just after regaining his balance. So he would be better off using Force Concentration to neutralize and counter the attacks while waiting for the opportunity to attack again.


      As Ann Chaoyang started to concentrate his qi and spirit at his dantian, Lou Cheng did not choose to attack. Instead, he raised both arms and made a sign. He exhaled deeply before saying loud and solemnly,


      "Army!"


      Since you have   a secret skill and ability to absorb all mental attacks, I'll use this move when you're focusing all your energy in your abdomen! Let's see what else you have that can take this move!


      "Army!"


      The surrounding atmosphere was terrible. The exchanges between the rivaling armies were cold and extraordinary.


      Ann Chaoyang's spirit was just recovering, and he had to face this move. In a split moment, he had entered into the abyss of no return and was just waiting to be taken down by his opponent.


      He could not help but to shiver a little. His trembling movement dispersed the explosive impact of his Dan stage.


      Bam!


      Lou Cheng's spirit and qi contracted and relaxed in a rhythm. His right arm was tight and he threw his fist forward, towards his opponent.


      Ann Chaoyang was indeed strong. In such a situation, he had actually managed to lift both his arms.


      Pam!


      The forces of the two exploded. He was hit backwards and he lost his stance.


      How could Lou Cheng let this chance slip? He took huge strides forward and consecutively visualized the Cold and Frozen and Frozen River diagrams. He lifted his left arm high above and made a warning pose!


      Ssiii! Hooo!


      The spectators were either taking in deep, cold breaths, or letting out surprised shouts.


      From the moment the referee had shouted "Fight", they were "tormented" by the nonstop fight between the two fighters. The spectators were out of breath, almost afraid that if they batted an eyelid, the tough battle would be over.


      In the midst of this whole process, they only felt that Lou Cheng, who was on the offensive, had an impressive and strong fighting stance. He was exuding the essence of beauty and strength in all his moves. They were all on an adrenaline rush. Their souls were shaken.


      Now Lou Cheng was ferocious and Ann Chaoyang seemed like he was going to lose!


      "With inches, the line between life and death... " With regard to the earlier half of the match, the guest commentator, Chen Sansheng, could not help but exclaim in awe.


      Yan Zheke's beautiful eyes were sparkling. She could see nothing else but her boyfriend.


      Ann Chaoyang had just retreated when he saw Lou Cheng continue to make his aggressive advancement. He understood that victory and loss were just moments away. He immediately did visualization, moving his fascia, twitching his muscles.


      Dang!


      Both of his feet sank and suddenly his body was steady. The ground beneath the arena started to shake.


      This second, he seemed to have transformed into the earth and become one with the arena.


      However, just as he had steadied his body's rhythm, Lou Cheng's raised arm had become an iron rod. Bam, it smashed down and did not give him a chance to hide, nor did he have the chance to do Force Concentration and visualization!


      Simplified Physical Invulnerable Move, Severe Warning!


      Ann Chaoyang seemed to have given up all hope. Using little strength, he lifted his right arm and moved upwards.


      Boom!


      When Lou Cheng's fist landed on the arm of his rival, it immediately released a cold wave, so cold that that it would freeze all thoughts and movements. At this very moment, he felt Ann Chaoyang's spirit, qi, and blood contracting quickly.


      This timing was perfect. Ann Chaoyang's body was already showing signs of frost and his eyes were losing focus. But his Force Concentration was still ongoing!


      Every sense felt like it was exploding and then contracting again. The freezing force was expelled out and Ann Chaoyang regained his focus. His body started to swell and he swung his left fist out!


      To use such a method to neutralize Severe Warning, the person would need to have an accurate grasp of when Lou Cheng was going to strike. If not, it would be impossible to retaliate, because if they were too late, the mind would be frozen and unable to do the Force Concentration. If they too early, the cold wave would not have entered the body yet and the mind would still be in a daze!


      "Lake and Mirror Liked Wisdom"! At this point, a famous saying appeared in Lou Cheng's mind.


      This was an ultimate skill of the Water Sect, and it was similar to Ice Mirror. One of those skills besides physical invulnerability that were terribly difficult to master!


      Surprisingly, Ann Chaoyang had actually managed to master it!


      As expected from a true disciple of the Queen of Thought!


      Bam!


      Ann Chaoyang's left fist was like a swift dragon tearing through low ground, bursting through the shallow sand, and going straight towards Lou Cheng in the most elegant and agile form.


      Lou Cheng did not have enough time to hide or enter the Dan realm. He could only follow what his rival did earlier. He raised both arms and tried to block the attack as it came.


      Pam!


      His body shook vigorously. It was obvious that he had lost his stance and was wobbling backwards.


      At this critical moment, Lou Cheng drew back his qi and blood as fast as possible and sat on the gold carriage, maintaining his core and balance.


      Ann Chaoyang let his arm follow the flow and swung his arm back again. He entered the Dan realm and used the water flow continuation pose to execute a Double Explosion. He shook his right arm, clenched tight, and smashed forward!


      Lou Cheng knew that he could not avoid that blow. He sucked his dan thin, made his arms swell, and raised them up again as a shield.


      Bam!


      In the midst of the echo, Ann Chaoyang now had the upper hand. He took the opportunity to strike again.


      Pam, pam, pam! Triple Explosion, Quadruple Explosion, Quintuple Explosion, Sextuple Explosion! To Lou Cheng, all he had in mind was that his rival's attacks were very much similar to his very own 24 Blizzard Strikes. Each strike more powerful than the previous, each strike stronger than the previous. Plus, they had the smoothness and roundness of running water!


      Bam! Bam! Bam! Septuple Explosion, Octuple Explosion, Nonuple Explosion, Decuple Explosion! He was still in defending position. Lou Cheng, who had trouble gaining strength from elsewhere, was being hit by Ann Chaoyang's Deluge Stance into a retreat, wave after wave. Each step that he took backwards left a hole in the ground. Soon, there were cracks on the ground along with footprints.


      However, although he was in such a situation, he did not panic. This was just being suppressed for a bit, being hit into a retreat.


      After that night where we took down the building, I've already experienced such a situation. In addition, there's no wall to restrict my retreat and to hurt my back!


      Hendecuple Explosion! Duodecuple Explosion! Tredecuple Explosion... Within one breath, Ann Chaoyang went all the out till the 14th consecutive explosion. The hairband on his head was ripped and his mid-length hair was flying in the air. Lou Cheng tried his best to hold on. Although he had to retreat, he did not panic, but to face 14 consecutive explosions, the path that the two of them had went along was completely destroyed.


      "The tables have turned. As expected from Ann Chaoyang. As expected from the Sleeping Tiger!" In the broadcasting studio, Chen Sansheng cheered on.


      At some point, Yan Zheke, Cai Zongming, and the rest of the team all stood up. They were all looking nervously at the arena. The spectators were all roaring as the match heated up.


      After the 14 consecutive explosions, Ann Chaoyang slowed down his crazy attacks. He changed his footwork and started to go around Lou Cheng. He pushed out his palm, palm after palm, each move with the Ocean Force weaved in.


      Lou Cheng did not allow himself to continue being in the weaker position. He started to use the Frost Force and Zhu Rong Force in alternating order to fight back. However, the cold waves and hot currents continued to be absorbed and neutralized by his rival's ocean like waves.


      Of course, his forces had supernatural abilities and were stronger than his rival's. Hence, Ann Chaoyang's face started to change from pale to red in an alternating rhythm. He was definitely affected, and the effects of each move were compounding on top of each other!


      Lou Cheng, too, was exhausted a little by the Ocean Force. His tendons and vessels started to swell and he started to have difficulty breathing, just like being pushed into the sea inch by inch!


      Water Sect, 15th move, Drown!


      While being locked in such a fight, Lou Cheng tried several times to use the Ice Burning and Snow Cover to break out of the momentum so as to catch a breath. However, Ann Chaoyang continued to be offensive. Since Ann Chaoyang was somewhat familiar with Lou Cheng's moves, he never gave Lou Cheng the chance to break away.


      With the match progressing till now, Ann Chaoyang's eyes swept the surroundings. Suddenly, he decided to change his tactic. He visualized the diagrams of Crashing Waves and Crumbling Dam.


      Pam!


      All his muscles started to swell and he was floating in midair. His right fist pulled way back and thrashed straight forward!


      Lou Cheng used the time when Ann Chaoyang was visualizing to do Force Concentration. He minimized the feeling of drowning and expelled the effect with a spray of his dan. He moved his waist and back and threw out his thick right arm.


      Bam!


      The sound was scary. It echoed across the arena. Lou Cheng, who had gone all the way out, was actually hit back two steps by Ann Chaoyang, who did not even use Force Concentration.


      The simplified physical invulnerability of the Water Sect, Deluge!


      It was impossible to defend against such a ferocious attack. It drowned any counter-attack intentions.


      It did not have any freezing or numbing effects. It was pure power. Pure strength to stimulate the power to produce a force stronger than what the Dan could neutralize.


      Of course, Ann Chaoyang would not dare to use such an exciting qi and blood move too many times. At most three times in one competition. This was a perfect time to use it!


      Bam!


      Lou Cheng took two steps back and steadied himself. Through the corner of his eye, he suddenly noticed the border lines of the arena.


      If he took another step, he would fall off!


      Ann Chaoyang had held back for so long, waiting for this perfect moment to execute the Deluge!


      He rushed forward. His mind was full of diagrams and images of crashing, dangerous waves that only kept growing taller and taller, and then the mind became the image of the dam walls crumbling against strong waves!


      Bam!


      The dam was reduced into gravel. The Deluge rushed forward. Ann Chaoyang's right fist came straight out again! With terrifying strength, he hit Lou Cheng right off the arena!


      "Lou Cheng has lost... " In the broadcasting studio, Chen Sansheng sighed.


      Cai Zongming and everyone else held their breaths. Yan Zheke bit her lip nervously.


      Countless thoughts of defeat flew through Lou Cheng's mind. Right behind him was the line of defeat.


      He grabbed on to one of his thoughts and let his soul visualize a large red sun right in the midst of the bright sky.


      This heavy and threatening "fireball" appeared. The hot currents within Lou Cheng's body started to come together. They started to concentrate together, they started to compound into a ball together!


      After that moment, the image that Lou Cheng visualized changed again. It became an image of a half-beast, half-man fire god, Zhu Rong, appearing and riding a red dragon. In one moment, the vicious burning fireball "calmed down" and became controllable.


      The simplified physical invulnerability, Internal Explosion!


      Bam!


      With two legs straightened, he threw out his fists.


      Bam!


      The two fists solidified and Ann Chaoyang felt that something in his body had just exploded. He was boiling internally. His qi and blood were flowing irregularly, his mind was ringing and at his throat, he could taste rust.


      He did not think much. Instinctively, he carried out the Force Concentration to neutralize the waves in his body.


      Lou Cheng did not manage to avoid the crazed Deluge attack. He took another two steps back and fell off the arena.


      In the midst of sighs of disappointment, his eyes were calm and cold, as cold as ice. He made a turn in midair, and with all the Power of Blaze channeled to his right hand, he swung it towards the ground.


      A "fireball" appeared and exploded against the ground.


      Bam-Pam!


      On the ground next to the arena, there was a huge hole. There was thick smoke and dust everywhere.


      Using this opportunity, Lou Cheng adjusted his muscles. Like an immortal, he rebounded "against the air" and returned to the arena with huge wings. Then he charged towards his rival!


      With his body in midair, he concentrated all the cold waves and turned them into a crystal clear river. Then he threw it towards Ann Chaoyang. Ann Chaoyang was still carrying out Force Concentration to reduce the turmoil within him.


      Almost immediately, Lou Cheng stretched out his right arm and aimed for his opponent. Within his mind, there were the images of Frozen River and Thunder Cloud Roaring!


      There was a bright flash. An Chaoyang, whose spirit was contracting, was hit directly. On the surface of his body, a layer of frost appeared and slowly became a layer of ice. However, he quickly used his dan to blow and neutralize it. His body swelled and broke the ice layer.


      The harsh cold caused him to be slow. Before he could react, in the midst of the thick fog, Ann Chaoyang saw the "descending" Lou Cheng charging towards him. Lou Cheng's right arm was just inches from him!


      Flying Immortal, Severe Warning!


      Bam!


      Instinctively, Ann Chaoyang lifted his arm to block Lou Cheng's fist. However, his mind was void of thoughts. His thoughts were completely frozen.


      Lou Cheng had just gained the upper hand with one move. His fist transformed into a palm. He did a cartwheel and flipped over Ann Chaoyang's head. He used his hands to press and apply pressure on his temples.


      Bang!


      Lou Cheng's feet landed on the ground, only feeling that the cold wave, hot current, and spirit were all gone and that he was left with emptiness. He almost caused the Jindan to lose its balance. At his back, Ann Chaoyang was just standing there, dazed and facing the arena spectators.


      At this moment, the referee retracted his hands that almost tried to stop the match. He raised his hands and announced,


      "First round, Lou Cheng wins!"




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     382 Half Rank
      "First round, Lou Cheng wins!"


      The referee's words echoed throughout the arena. Yet the spectators were slow to react. They remained where they were. They did not cheer, neither did they boo.


      The scene of Lou Cheng crashing down the arena was still fresh in their minds. The sound so loud like an explosion, still ringing in their ears. How could he? How did he just turn the tables and bring down Ann Chaoyang in a split second?


      The big screen replayed what happened in slow motion. Through that, the spectators finally managed to see how Lou Cheng had borrowed the strength of the explosion wave and flew back to the arena like an immortal. Only after the screening did the spectators become clear about what had happened and what to remember from this battle. The crowd started to ruffle and gasps of astonishment could be heard.


      What was an absolute counter-attack? This was an absolute counter-attack!


      What was rebirth from the depths? This was rebirth from the depths!


      The spectators roared uncontrollably. They could not believe their eyes. They were still basking in the incredible turn of events — how Lou Cheng had managed to pull himself back into the game despite being so close to losing. The spectators were cheering their hearts out.


      An exciting battle! An invigorating battle!


      The powerful Ann Chaoyang, the even more powerful Lou Cheng!


      Woooo!


      At the same time, the vuvuzelas played, pumping the atmosphere further.


      …


      "First round, Lou Cheng wins!"


      In the midst of the seats of the Songcheng University Martial Arts Club, there was Yan Zheke, who had never taken her eyes off the stage since the fight started. The moment the referee announced that Lou Cheng had won, her arms flew up in excitement. Her expression was filled with so many emotions. No words could describe what she was going through right now. On her lower lip, there were faint teeth marks.


      I knew it! I knew that Lou Cheng would not throw his arms up and give up like that!


      While being engulfed by the happy cheers, she heard Cai Zongming nearby mumbling to himself in surprise.



      "I think I've seen this scene somewhere before!"


      Before Yan Zheke could ask him what he meant, Little Ming muttered to himself again.


      "Yes! Dragonball! That episode where he used Kamehameha to propel back to the arena!"


      Huh... A thought flashed past her mind. Yan Zheke suddenly recalled something in the past. That time, Cheng mentioned that his family was not doing very well after elementary school. So he did not have money for new manga, he could only rely on his cousin's, Lou Yuanwei, and his classmates' old collections. That was how "Dragonball" became his favorite manga.


      At that time, what Yan Zheke replied was,


      "Uncle Cheng, I've never read manga from the previous generation!"


      "Wait, was he inspired by Dragonball?" Yan Zheke's dimples surfaced. Her eyes sparkled as she looked towards the arena. She saw her boyfriend standing there, straight and upright. His martial arts suit, drenched in sweat, was sticking to his skin, revealing his good figure.


      Seeing this scene, the girl again was reminded of Lou Cheng in the first half of the match. He was bright, strong, and manly. These were great contrast against his usual gentleness, attentiveness, and calm atmosphere. Her heart skipped a beat.


      Hmm, how should we describe this contrast?


      As she was immersed in her thoughts, Yan Zheke burst out in giggles. This made Lin Hua, who was beside her, very curious.


      "Ke, what're you laughing at?"


      Yan Zheke's eyelids fluttered, she pressed her lips into a smile, and said,


      "Just thought of a sentence to describe how different Cheng is during a fight and normal times... "


      "What?" Lin Hua got even more interested.


      With her dimples deep, Yan Zheke smiled brightly and said,


      "Yup. 'Quiet like a virgin, active like a fleeing hare!'"


      …


      "First round, Lou Cheng wins!"


      In the midst of the Huahai University Martial Arts club, Piao Yuan touched his bald head like a monk. In fact, he forgot to stand up at the first moment. Xing Jingjing, Zhang Dongliang, and the others who were next to him were all silent. It was like they had trouble accepting the fact that Ann Chaoyang's near victory had turned into a loss.


      Senior Brother Ann had already displayed strength and abilities that had surprised everyone, including himself. But Lou Cheng had still won!


      …


      From the moment that Lou Cheng fell out of the arena and threw out the fireball, the broadcasting studio was silent. Only after the referee had announced the results did Chen Sansheng utter a broken sentence.


      "Amazing... Superb... "


      Lou Cheng had actually managed to turn the tables with such a move!


      "This, this doesn't count as a defeat?" Host Liu Chang asked subconsciously.


      "No. He did not touch anything outside the arena. Uh, except for air." Chen Sansheng regained his composure and started to explain with examples. As for the fireball that he hit against the ground, it didn't count as part of his body. In usual fighting situations, there'll also be the use of supernatural abilities that would fall outside of the arena. Those can't be considered defeat, right?"


      Liu Chang had mixed emotions on his face. He smiled and said, "Except for top professional competitions, I've never seen anything like this before. So my brain is not exactly working properly."


      In top professional competitions, the arena was arranged based on environment. It would be advantageous for the home team. For example, the Xinghai club used the advantage of a large, abandoned vessel at sea as the match ground. This allowed the Water Sect to exploit the environment to their benefit. The spectators would take their own boats and watch from afar. The VIPs would be in helicopters above.


      "Not just you, even I couldn't think straight," Chen Sansheng exclaimed. "I thought that Ann Chaoyang was going to win. I didn't expect Lou Cheng's Power of Blaze to be so strong at full strength."


      Of course, this must have been a result of training. Only when the fighter has exceptional control over his or her body's transformation can the fighter push out all the supernatural ability in one go. If not, most would only be like how Lou Cheng was when he was going through awakening — use it bit by bit until it is depleted. Since matches were fast-paced, rivals could retaliate and avoid, so the effectiveness of using supernatural ability bit by bit was rather low.


      Liu Chang went along and said, "The two of them have performed well beyond my expectations. Ann Chaoyang has the abilities and standards of a strong Sixth Pin, right? "


      "Yes. In fact, he is stronger than that. It was because he made a mistake at the end. That's why he lost. If not he could still battle on... " Chen Sansheng took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Lou Cheng... tip top Sixth Pin for sure! "


      In less than four months, he moved from a weaker Sixth Pin to a top Sixth Pin!


      Although this speed of development was not exactly out-of-this-world, it was definitely not like what An All-knowing Man in Ganghood said about him slowing down with a steep drop!


      "Top Sixth Pin? Didn't Lou Cheng just win by a little?" Liu Chang asked in surprise.


      Since Piao Yuan had not taken the arena yet, Chen Sansheng quickly explained, "From my perspective, my personal opinion, Lou Cheng is stronger by half a rank. It's not about being strong in the realm, abilities, and such things. I'm talking about his momentum, his fighting strategy. Don't you think that Lou Cheng was much more aggressive today compared to the past? There was an overpowering sense of fighting between life and death. From the crazy attacks in the beginning, his control on being the aggressor, he was attacking so much. If not for his mistake, Ann Chaoyang probably wouldn't have been able to find a chance to attack him. He was pushing his opponent bit by bit, until his opponent could not come back from the depths of failure."


      "What are you talking about? You just said Ann Chaoyang made a mistake, now you say that Lou Cheng also made a mistake... " Liu Chang saw Piao Yuan stand up and rush towards the arena. Liu Chang quickly threw out his last question.


      A glitter of exclamation appeared again in Chen Sansheng's eyes. He quickly replied,


      "In such a match where both are in the same stage, same standards, win-loss is largely determined by who has the upper hand, who makes the least mistakes. Even one mistake could mean defeat. If this was a real fight in the actual world, it could even mean losing your life! "


      "Lou Cheng's first attack strategy was too aggressive. It was obvious that Ann Chaoyang was not used to it, and hence, he was placed in a disadvantageous position. Weakened one step at a time. But once the chance to retaliate and to grab that victory appeared, Lou Cheng wanted to win too badly. So instinctively, he chose to transform the paralyzing Ice Sect into physical invulnerability and he tried to end the match then. But Ann Chaoyang grabbed that opportunity to use the Lake and Mirror Like Wisdom to retaliate. That move that I mentioned earlier."


      "At that moment, if Lou Cheng was not so anxious, if he had transformed his last move, the move he was struggling with, Deluge, into a new physical invulnerability... That's an explosive physical invulnerability. It wouldn't be possible for Ann Chaoyang's Force Concentration to dispel it entirely. This also means that he wouldn't be able to retaliate, and on the other hand, he would be affected and his defending position would continue to the end."


      "This mistake by Lou Cheng caused him to lose a great upper hand and fall into a dangerous situation. However, at the critical moment, Ann Chaoyang also made a mistake. After he took a physical invulnerability blow from his rival, he probably thought that Lou Cheng had fallen out of the arena and was going to lose for sure. So he didn't move, he didn't defend. He just stood there and tried to enter the Dan Realm to recover. Then he became a target board instead."


      The crux of the simplified physical invulnerability is about visualization, and the changes within the body matches the muscles and fascia. It had nothing to do with the moves. Chen Sansheng could only watch Lou Cheng through the screen, hence he could not see what move Lou Cheng had used. They had wait till the match was over. Only through the report and interview with Lou Cheng could they possibly figure out what move it was.


      Liu Chang listened and nodded vigorously. With an emotional tone, he said,


      "A match of such standard is simply breath-taking. That moment of victory, who made more mistakes, who had to receive that punishment. Ok, let's look towards the arena once again. The second round of competition is about to start! "


      …


      Just as the host and commentator were taking apart the battle, He Xiaowei used the name "Superstitious Belief Is Bad" and with a "rolling on the floor laughing" emoji, he wrote:


      "See, see! Didn't I say it? Lou Cheng will definitely win! The favored fighter will definitely win! Next time all of you who say I'm poison milk, that my words will curse his victory, and throw whatever superstition in the air, wait for the lightning to strike! "


      The moment his Weibo post was uploaded, there were multiple replies. They were all sad and negative.


      "Damn, I only thought of your cursing abilities and forgot that Lou Cheng could reverse curses!"


      "Tomorrow's news headlines will be 'The Lucky Star Who Will Never Be Cursed'!"


      "You're gloating? The person that you support and depend on for a living has been beaten by Lou Cheng!"


      As she read these replies, Yan Xiaoling, Unparalleled Dragon, and the rest could not stop smiling. They quickly moved to the fan forum, hoping to share the joy with everyone.


      At the same time, they glanced at An All-knowing Man in Ganghood's Weibo page. They found that he was still stubborn and posted this:


      "Victory and defeat are a matter of thought. In a situation where abilities are evenly matched, it is not surprising whichever side wins!"


      Tsk! Yan Xiaoling raised her middle finger at the screen.


      …


      In the bar, Xu Wannian, Fang Zhirong, and the rest were silent for a short moment.


      After a few seconds, Corvine Mouth's classmate said with a sigh,


      "Lou Cheng is really awesome... "


      "Yup." Peng Leyun nodded lightly. He looked at the screen thoughtfully.


      In the office of the Capital College Martial Arts Club, Ren Li's expression was similar to Peng Leyun's, only that the five fingers on his right hand were slightly separated, as though he could not wait to strike a move. This set him aside from Shen You, Chen Diguo, and the rest, who were just standing still.


      In Li Xiaoyuan's room, Zhen Huansheng leaned his head back, as though the baggage on his shoulders had just grown heavier.


      …


      On the arena, Lou Cheng was panting heavily, trying to make up for the lack of oxygen from the mental dissipation that had just occurred.


      Within his body, the Jin Dan started to turn silently, churning warm currents, relieving the fatigue of the muscles and fascia. However, the supernatural ability was recovering slowly, like a gentle stream trying to fill the sea.


      In the last fireball explosion against the ground, because he did not practice this move previously, he was not very sure about its strength. He could only try his best. Hence, the rebound wave did not only push his body back up, it also jolted his inner organs. Although it was not very strong, he was definitely affected.


      "My spirit could probably still do another Double Explosion... " Lou Cheng quickly assessed his condition.


      To be honest, he had thought that his spirit had reached its limited. However, because of the hard-earned victory, the adrenaline rush had pumped some strength into his spirit.


      As for the Swordsman Formula, either it should be trained for internal strength, or he had to use it on others. It was ineffective on himself.


      At the moment, Ann Chaoyang recovered from the blow. He used whatever remaining strength he had to turn and shook hands with Lou Cheng. Unstable, he wobbled towards the stone steps with the svelte manner of a past champion. He looked even more pitiful and sad.


      Piao Yuan came up and high-fived his Senior Brother Ann. With quick steps, he climbed onto the arena, not giving Lou Cheng any more time to recover.


      Round two was about to start!




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     383 A Faint-Hearted Bandi
      When Piao Yuan ran up the steps to the arena, Lou Cheng was immediately drawn to this fierce-looking strong man. He instinctively began thinking about how he could win this round.


      Though his mistake earlier had pushed him close his limits, he would not just relax and perfunctorily fight in the upcoming round.


      This was a group competition! The winner was the one who laughed last!


      Though Lin Que was far superior to Piao Yuan, Yan Zheke could not match up to Jingjing at all. Thus, from the overall look of things, the outcome could still go either way. So he should do as much as he could to weaken his opponents for the sake of his teammates!


      Too bad it was no longer a secret that his stamina was not limitless. Otherwise, he could try and trick Piao Yuan and find a chance to win…


      When Piao Yuan placed his feet in the specified position, his heart was rapidly beating in hesitation.


      He knew his opponent was close to exhaustion after defeating Senior Brother An, but Lou Cheng was nevertheless a mighty Sixth Pin fighter even if he was currently incapable of making the Dan stage burst. Piao Yuan dared not look down on him at all. A cornered beast struggling in its last minutes was typically the most dangerous!


      He was an impulsive person and constantly had conflicts with others, resulting in constant punishments since primary school. In the eyes of his classmates and neighbors, he was a bad person. However, aggressive as he was, he was never sent to jail. Was that not enough to mean something?


      True, he had a strong physique and a fierce-looking face. His terrified opponents would never dare to fight back. But that also meant that he knew how to control his strength when fighting others. He would never lose control simply due to anger. He was still quite a thoughtful person! He was precisely what people called a coarse-looking but thoughtful man!


      Facing Lou Cheng in his current weakened state, he still emphasized on giving a steady performance. He had no plans to risk his life to win!


      With these thoughts flashing across his mind, he parted his feet and went into his stance without hesitation.


      The referee took a deep breath, deciding to switch with the game supervisor after this round.


      He raised up his hand and put it down suddenly, making his announcement.



      "Begin!"


      Disregarding what his opponent was planning to do, Piao Yuan gathered strength in both legs. Swaying like a massive bear, he ran more than ten meters to his right with unsteady steps.


      No matter what, dodging first would never be the wrong move!


      He must not give Lou Cheng the chance to accelerate his movement with the burst of the Xing Formula. Senior Brother An was forced into passivity since the start of the match because of his carelessness!


      Lou Cheng watched in surprise and nearly burst out laughing. He decided not to move and lowered his eyes. His expression seemed to suggest that he was daring Piao Yuan to run even further, while he would remain in place. He was actually taking the time to adjust his condition with pranayama to restore as much of his vigor as possible.


      Seeing this situation, Piao Yuan became alarmed and immediately changed his direction to interrupt Lou Cheng's relaxation.


      Thump! Thump! Thump!


      Stomping the ground with his elephant feet, he rushed to Lou Cheng like the wind regardless of his tall and strong body.


      The Elephant Bumping move of the Elephant Style!


      Elephants were heavy, but they could run fast!


      Thump! Thump! Thump! The arena was shaking under Piao Yuan's feet!


      He swung the center of his gravity when he neared Lou Cheng and dashed behind Lou Cheng like an antelope, his figure making a perfect arc through the air. He limbered up his muscles and joints and transformed into a fierce bear pouncing on his prey!


      The Giant Bear Hitting the Tree move of the Bear Style!


      This trick was close to the strength of Seventh Pin. Never mind a tree, Piao Yuan could even break an iron pillar with this move!


      The minute he was about to touch his opponent, the unmoving Lou Cheng suddenly jumped one step ahead. Both looked as if they had rehearsed the scene hundreds or thousands of times.


      The back of Lou Cheng's head may not have eyes, but his mind had an Ice Mirror!


      Crack!


      Completly missing his target, Piao Yuan's terrifying force sizzled and exploded in the air. He could tell something was off and immediately drove all his qi and blood to flow back with his Force Concentration.


      Stepping onto the ground with his toes, Lou Cheng turned around to pounce at his opponent.


      He raised his arm high up in the air, visualizing an ice-bound river and shaking thunderclouds.


      The simplified physical invulnerability, Severe Warning!


      Lou Cheng didn't choose Internal Explosion, for he was still looking for a chance to win the match instead of just weakening his opponent!


      Since he had used up all his Power of Blaze and Frost, his simplified physical invulnerability moves like Severe Warning and Internal Explosion were all significantly weakened. So his punch with the latter would just impact Piao Yuan's internal organs and deal him a light injury; it would not strip him of his ability to fight.


      Severe Warning, on the other hand, was still capable of slowing Piao Yuan down and making him rigid, though it would not freeze his spirit and mind as efficiently as before. It would be very brief but enough to give Lou Cheng an advantage in their hand-to-hand combat.


      Pop!


      Lou Cheng pulled his punch downwards, causing a sound that seemed like a bell echoing throughout the arena.


      Piao Yuan's gathered qi, blood, spirit, and force suddenly burst out and caused his body to swell. However, he could neither punch nor kick back like usual. Instead, he carefully stomped the ground, breaking several black tiles in the process, and retreated quickly.


      No matter what, escaping from Lou Cheng would never be the wrong move!


      Smack! Lou Cheng did not know if he was annoyed or amused when his fist once again touched the air. This man looked like a strong and fierce one! He had heard about Piao Yuan's bad reputation and that he was an expert at bullying others. How could he be so cowardly and cautious?


      He did not allow himself to be disappointed. He immediately withdrew his force and made a burst under his feet.


      Crack!


      Lou Cheng jumped in the air, leaving the floor cracking behind him, and threw himself at Piao Yuan. He stretched out both hands and shook his wrists to cover his opponent's body with the Force of the Ice Sect. He faked some of his moves to confuse Piao Yuan.


      The thirteenth movement of the Ice Sect, Endless Snow!


      Without his supernatural ability, he could only depend on the motions of Frost Force to lower the surrounding temperature and create the thin, white mist.


      Knowing he was unable to dodge in time in the mist and snow, Piao Yuan tightened the muscles in his thighs and kicked at Lou Cheng in advance, for he had already made a plan to deal with Lou Cheng's movement while watching the video of his matches before. He knew that Lou Cheng's next movement was usually the one called "Cold Starting from the Foot", while his kicking in advance would throw Lou Cheng's action into the net.


      Simultaneously, Piao Yuan shook his elbows and raised both hands to hide his vital parts. He gave the impression of inviting Lou Cheng to just hit him.


      Lou Cheng had already foreseen all this in his Ice Mirror. He did not panic and took a step back to his left, leaving Piao Yuan's kick to land in the air.


      He then leaned forward and forcibly changed the moving direction of his hands. After dodging his opponent's attack, he hit Piao Yuan squarely on the shoulders.


      Not every action of Snow Cover was fake!


      A shocked Piao Yuan immediately landed his feet heavily on the ground upon seeing that his shoulders were about to get hit. He forced his body to squat so Lou Cheng's fists may hit their targets but would not be able to use their force.


      Crack, crack! Lou Cheng exerted strength in his joints and stretched his fascia. His fingers were stretched wide, holding onto Piao Yuan's shoulders as he jumped using the borrowed strength.


      This frightened Piao Yuan so much that he recalled the trick that made An Chaoyang fail. He first dodged, simultaneously trying to make his qi and blood flow backward and creating a burst of force in his Dantian aimed at his front.


      Just then, Lou Cheng grasped his shoulders with his fingers. Gaining strength from his abdominal muscles, Lou Cheng lifted Piao Yuan up and threw him midair!


      "Beautiful move!" In the studio, Chen Sansheng instantly praised Lou Cheng's performance.


      This series of movements were so great that they deserved a spot in textbooks and training manuals!


      In the seats for the Songcheng team, Yan Zheke's mouth was slightly open. She looked both dumbfounded and happy.


      After throwing Piao Yuan into the air, Lou Cheng landed on the ground and visualized a massive and great sun in his mind.


      This time, he knew he was at his limit and decided not to use Severe Warning. He switched to the use of Internal Explosion to cause the most damage possible!


      He wanted to see how Piao Yuan would dodge this time!


      Though he had adjusted his body in time in midair, Piao Yuan could not stop himself from falling at a high speed since he did not have a flying supernatural ability. Contracting and relaxing all his muscles, Piao Yuan fell upon Lou Cheng like a meteorite.


      The hot air instantly condensing, Lou Cheng's great sun transformed into Zhu Rong, the God of Fire with the head of a human and the body of a beast whose feet were upon on a fiery dragon. Lou Cheng neither dodged nor blocked the attack. Instead, he lowered his center of gravity and threw his punch upwards.


      Crack!


      Soaring Blast!


      Bang! Piao Yuan's fist met Lou Cheng's Internal Explosion.


      Bam!


      As the force and qi exploded within his body, Piao Yuan felt all his five viscera and six bowels shaking. Even his eyes turned red.


      Under the great force of the burst of Dan, Lou Cheng, who was at his limit, dashed backward to prevent a leg fracture.


      Thump! Piao Yuan was unable to keep his stance and was about to fall. At the urgent moment, he defused most of the outburst with his Force Concentration and once again balanced himself. He then dashed away, keeping a 20-meter distance from Lou Cheng.


      Yes, nearly 20 meters from Lou Cheng!


      How could such a fierce-looking man be such a faint-hearted bandit? How could he be so cunning and flexible? Lou Cheng, who had planned on bullying the guy for a while, could no longer hold back his smile. He shook his head.


      Seeing that his remaining strength was not enough for him to maintain his Ice Mirror, he raised his right hand and gave up the round.


      The referee seemed dumbfounded by Lou Cheng's relaxed manner. He only reacted after two seconds and raised his arm.


      "Round two, Piao Yuan wins!"


      Piao Yuan was inexplicably moved. If Lou Cheng continued to persist, he had no idea if he could really win this round.


      In the seats for Songcheng, Lin Que jumped up immediately. He was long prepared for this moment, having changed out of his jacket and put away his towel.


      He had been waiting for this for a long time!




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     384 Flaun
      In the studio, Chen Sansheng sighed with emotion as he watched Lou Cheng stepping out of the ring.


      "What a pity…"


      "What's pitiful, Sansheng?" Liu Chang, the host, asked to cooperate with him.


      Chen Sansheng sighed. "Lou Cheng was pretty close to defeating Piao Yuan… It is unbelievable that he was still able to do this when he was already worn out!"


      Noticing that Liu Chang was still bewildered, Chen Sansheng added, "In his final attack, if Lou Cheng had frozen Piao Yuan's thoughts and spirit as he usually does instead of using his newly-learned physical invulnerability, Piao Yuan would be like a trembling lamb in mid-air, waiting for Lou Cheng to kill him at any moment."


      "Yeah! Why didn't Lou Cheng use that movement? Did he make a mistake again?" Liu Chang tapped the table slightly.


      "No, he actually reached the limit of his stamina and was unable to make that series of attacks then, and that's why I feel sorry for him. If he could have made another Force Concentration, Piao Yuan would have definitely lost the match. By the way, this proves that Ann Chaoyang was not easy to deal with, since even Lou Cheng defeated him at the expense of all his stamina and energy." Chen Sansheng explained to Liu Chang, "Did you notice what Lou Cheng did after being forced to take a few steps back by Piao Yuan's burst of the Dan Stage? Piao Yuan was actually frozen then, and Lou Cheng wouldn't have been able to seize the opportunity if he used the simplified physical-invulnerability movement of the Ice Sect without the aid of Force Concentration. So Lou Cheng used his newly learned simplified movement of physical invulnerability instead, which injured Piao Yuan and will save Lin Que some time to win the next round."


      "I get it!" Liu Chang showed an expression of dawning comprehension and began echoing Chen Sansheng's words. "Besides, Lou Cheng wouldn't be forced to retreat by a Dan-stage fighter of the top Eighth Pin if he hadn't reached his limit."


      "Yeah, he had to take steps back to weaken the force of Piao Yuan's punch, or his joints and bones would've been broken." Chen Sansheng turned his gaze to the broadcasting screen, in which Lin Que walked towards Lou Cheng to encourage him.


      There was not much time left for them, and Liu Chang hurried to raise his final question. "I was wondering, when Lou Cheng grasped Piao Yuan's shoulder to throw him into mid-air, why didn't he throw him onto the ground directly to stun him?"



      He was still able to win the match!


      Once he caught Piao Yuan, why did he leave Piao Yuan the chance to counterattack?


      His abundant experience of hosting broadcasts of the Martial Arts Competition was enough to change him into an expert.


      "Of course Lou Cheng would have seized the opportunity if he was able to do so. But actually, it was inertia that helped him catch Piao Yuan, and he couldn't pour any amount of force into this action to restrain the moves of Piao Yuan's joints. So Piao Yuan was still able to take actions under those conditions and counterattack. Since that Force Concentration was enough to help him out and even offer him an opportunity to counterattack, Lou Cheng knew that he couldn't block Piao Yuan's punch and thus threw Piao Yuan into mid-air to keep away from him…" Chen Sansheng was replaying the competition in his mind with great enthusiasm like a drunkard getting access to old wine.


      Liu Chang nodded slightly. "Well, competition between superiors is indeed filled with knowledge. The next round is coming, let's focus on the ring."


      ...


      In Lou Cheng's fan forum, Yan Xiaoling, Eternal Nightfall, published a post:


      "QAQ, that commentator is really a good man. Now even I could understand the specific changes of the fight!"


      "The more I understand, the more sorrow I feel…" Brahman replied with a crying emoji.


      Heavenly Horse, a newcomer, said jokingly, "It is also because we are still too weak! If each one of us was able to lend a second, no, a little of our stamina to Lou Cheng, he would have easily won the match!"


      Okamoto's Fan soon began leading the topic toward a dirty direction. "You are wrong here! What if someone in this forum is affecting him with impotence? Even one second is of great importance to him!"


      Since the whole competition had not yet come to its end, they did not spend much time on the celebrations. Instead, they soon turned their gazes back to the screen except for Yan Xiaoling, who @Unparalleled Dragon King in a strained tone:


      "Do you think Songcheng University can win the competition? Even Lou Cheng was forced to use up his stamina!"


      Unparalleled Dragon King replied with a funny face, "It's hard to say. Huahai was not a fruitcake and Piao Yuan is going to reach Seventh Pin with the ability to make five strikes in a short time. Piao Yuan's failure in the Ranking Event was just because he didn't get a chance to develop his own Force systematically. As for this match, his three Force Concentrations were not used in a short time, so they actually didn't cost him much energy. However, Lou Cheng's simplified attack of physical invulnerability had actually injured him and he may have less than 70% of his energy remaining now.


      "It's not difficult for Lin Que to defeat him, but Lin Que must control his use of energy while fighting against him. Xing Jingjing is Lin Que's next opponent, and this girl with illusion supernatural ability was said to be able to match an Eighth-Pin fighter when she joined in the Youth Tournament of Xing Province last July, and she was thus recorded in the Apotheosis of Fighters. Now nine months have passed, so she must have made more progress even if she hasn't reached the Dan Stage yet. Since she is known for her illusion supernatural ability, it's hard to judge how powerful she is now unless she is compared with a certain tough opponent in a competition.


      "As a result, even if Lin Que is unable to get two straight wins, he must force Xing Jingjing to use up her stamina like Lou Cheng did just now. Or Xing Jingjing will bully his teammates in the next rounds since most of the fighters of the same level are unable to resist her illusion supernatural, including Yan Zheke, who is now a Professional Ninth Pin. I hope that Yan Zheke has learned some special Kung Fu like Ice Mirror, but I remember that even Lou Cheng had spent quite a lot of time to manage it."


      Brahman had been watching Unparalleled Dragon King analyze the situation. Then she sent a punching emoji. "I initially had much faith in Lou Cheng, but now you make me feel nervous!"


      "Yeah, I'm trembling while praying," Yan Xiaoling replied with a funny emoji.


      ...


      "Pop!"


      As Lou Cheng stepped down from the ring, his sweat was falling onto the ground and breaking into countless drops. Though the Jindan within his body could restore his stamina and relax his drawn body, it could not prevent him from feeling hot while using his Force to make a punch. So Lou Cheng believed that even this Jindan had its limits, for at least it could not create water from nowhere, and without water, even a Mighty One would soon shrivel up.


      As soon as he left the ring, Lou Cheng saw Lin Que walking toward him in a quick but relaxed pace.


      Stretching out his right hand with a smile, Lou Cheng intended to say, "Now it's your performance time." But he soon gave it up since Lin Que used to keep all the stress to himself instead of relieving it through words.


      "Good luck!"


      Lin Que gave him five and then nodded slightly. There was an invisible flame jumping in his eyes.


      After brushing past Lin Que, Lou Cheng saw Yan Zheke waiting for him with a towel in her hand, which made him accelerate unconsciously.


      "Come on, dry your sweat!" Yan Zheke gave him the towel, getting herself drunk in the familiar smell of sweat.


      Shaking her head slightly, she smiled with bright eyes. "I knew that you could defeat Ann Chaoyang, but I had never expected that you could nearly defeat Piao Yuan."


      Though it was a little pity that Lou Cheng had reached his limit and missed the chance to get two straight wins, it was not proper to mention such minor details now.


      Coach Yan was also good at praising others!


      "I might have won this round if that bald-headed man was not so cowardly and cunning." Lou Cheng walked back to their seats with the girl while drying the sweat on his head and face with the towel. It seemed that he was now in a good mood instead of feeling depressed after losing the match.


      Cai Zongming approached them, giving him a smile.


      "Cheng, you learned that movement from Dragon Ball, right? You just bombarded the ground with a fireball to create the chance for rebound?"


      Lou Cheng squinted at him, showing him a smile.


      "That's a secret!"


      "Secret…" Little Ming was stunned, and there was a moment that he felt as if it was Lin Que standing in front of him.


      "Damn it." It was true that different environments provided different influences, and even Cheng had been infected by Lin Que's deadpan humor!


      When he was still in confusion, he saw Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke sit down shoulder to shoulder, and then heard the girl ask in a low voice,


      "Cheng, did you really get inspiration from Dragon Ball?"


      Lou Cheng smiled and replied honestly,


      "Yes."


      "Er… Forget what I said… I have never seen such a ditching of friends for a girl…" Cai Ritian refused to give in to him! Cai Zongming sighed, covering his face with both hands.


      After puting down the towel, Lou Cheng saw Ke delve into the bag near her foot and then pull out a transparent bottle with liquid waving in it.


      "A gift from me, your elder sister~" Yan Zheke handed the bottle over to Lou Cheng, pretending to be casual.


      Lou Cheng found no label on the bottle, so he asked in confusion, "What's this?"


      "Sedative and Brain-invigorating Fluid! Haven't you mentioned it before that it was not your stamina but your energy that had been consumed in large amounts during a match? Well, there is an ancestral formula in the Ji family, and my mom has recently improved it. I'm sure it will suit you well." Yan Zheke whispered in his ear in order to keep the secret from others.


      "You have already gotten it prepared?" asked Lou Cheng, pleasantly surprised.


      "Of course~! I'm always reliable, unlike you reckless men!" Yan Zheke raised her chin to squint at Lou Cheng.


      Lou Cheng was greatly satisfied, feeling more comfortable than when he defeated Ann Chaoyang. When he was able to give Coach Yan a compliment, he heard Old Shi calling someone near them.


      "Haha, my stupid disciple isn't that stupid when fighting against someone." Holding his cellphone, Old Shi was wearing a big smile and Lou Cheng could hardly see his eyes.


      "You routineer, you haven't even taught Ann the Nine Words Formula.


      "Don't be so modest. If Ann had learned the Nine Words Formula, my stupid disciple wouldn't have won the match unless he used up all his energy…"


      His master was showing off to the Queen of Thought, right? Was it not showing off? Lou Cheng pretended that he had not heard what Old Shi had said, with the corners of his mouth twitching. Again turning his gaze toward his fairy, Lou Cheng began praising her reliable deeds and consideration.


      After opening the bottle with his fingers, Lou Cheng spread the nice smell of Sedative and Brain-invigorating Fluid all over the room.


      ...


      In the ring, a cold shiver ran down Piao Yuan's spine as he saw Lin Que's emotionless face, and then he recalled the fighting video of this new opponent.


      Lin Que was also good at launching quick attacks as soon as the match began!


      Not to mention that he had mastered the Xing Formula now!


      So again, I'd better dodge first!


      After looking around, the referee raised his right hand and then waved it downward.


      "Begin now!"


      The third round between Huahai and Songcheng University began!




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     385 Copy Others Blindly
      "Begin now!"


      Just like in the last round, Piao Yuan immediately ran sideways without taking a glance at Lin Que. Unsteady though he looked, he was actually running at a high speed like a bear.


      He even slightly adjusted his running direction since Lin Que might have learned from Lou Cheng's mistakes and might preemptively block his way.


      Since he dodged to the right in the last round, would Lin Que believe that he would run to the left this time?


      It was a great possibility, so he could not take the risk and run to the left!


      But it was also unsafe even if he dodged to the right. What if Lin Que was more clever than he was?


      What about retreating directly? Lin Que would catch up with him easily with the Xing Formula.


      Finally, Piao Yuan chose to dodge to the right since it was safer!


      The feeling that Piao Yuan's footwork gave the audience was a weird mixture of heavy and light. Imagine there was an elephant trying to get across a river—steadily as he walked, he was wavering at the same time because of buoyancy.


      The resilience of the floor was supporting Piao Yuan's steps like a wave in a river. It was not until he had made the most of his Elephant Movement did Piao Yuan spare the time to look at Lin Que.


      It seemed that Lin Que was in no hurry to take action, but what he was doing now made Piao Yuan's heart almost jump out of his throat. Using his waist and legs like a bow and string, Lin Que shot himself at Piao Yuan like an arrow and was now flying at a high speed, tearing up the air and creating a strong wind. Even the dust and pebbles on the ground were blown up to form a straight, grey line.


      Meteor Force could not only shock someone, but could also help the fighter accelerate!


      Now Lin Que was moving like a meteor or a bolt of lightning, even faster than the legendary fiery steed!


      Piao Yuan hurried to calm himself down in order prevent himself from being overwhelmed. Stretching out his elephant leg, he began circling on the ring after changing his direction.


      He clearly knew that he was initially weaker than Lin Que, not to mention that he had been injured by Lou Cheng just now, which took up much of his energy. Now that there was no possibility for him to defeat Lin Que, Piao Yuan had made up his mind to turn the match into a fight of attrition and create more opportunity for Xing Jingjing. As for the third fighter of Songcheng University, even "Semi-Disabled" and "Hallucination Clam" were able to defeat her with ease.



      Now that it was a war of attrition, he just needed to stop trying to uphold his image and just run as he liked.


      He would not fight against Lin Que directly unless he was caught.


      While Piao Yuan kept changing his running direction with stable footwork, Lin Que was gradually reducing the scope of Piao Yuan's activity with the speeding-up of Meteor Force and the magical turning with the help of mercurial balance and Yin-yang Twist. The distance between them was narrowing, but he had not found any chance to launch an attack yet for the ring was too broad.


      While running as fast as he could, Piao Yuan took a glance at Lin Que, intending to find some trace of Lin Que's impatience and thus prove that his strategy was efficient. However, what he discovered was still Lin Que's deep, black eyes and emotionless face!


      He is still not in a hurry?


      Doesn't he want to defeat me as soon as he can and then focus on Xing Jingjing in the next round?


      Piao Yuan felt so depressed as his effort did not work. But he still kept running with great caution, avoiding facing Lin Que directly until the final moment.


      "Thump! Thump! Thump!"


      As they got closer and closer to each other, Piao Yuan noticed that Lin Que would soon be able to use the Xing Formula within such a distance, and it would be impossible for him to dodge it. Taking a deep breath, Piao Yuan came to an abrupt stop.


      "Pop!"


      Gathering strength in his knees, Piao Yuan sent a piece of tile flying with a swift kick.


      "Woo!"


      Because of the air friction, the piece of tile made a sharp sound while flying at Lin Que at a high speed like an arrow. After that kick, Piao Yuan took the opportunity to step downward and then bounced to catch up with the arrow.


      During the whole process, he had even expanded his body with the help of Force and Danqi, making himself a real fierce giant bear!


      "Clang!"


      The ring was shaking slightly along with Piao Yuan's steps. Turning sideways, this "giant bear" was about to land on his opponent like Mount Tai.


      "The Giant Bear Hitting the Tree move of the Bear Style!"


      The sound of the wind was very sharp and the explosion of force was quite horrible. In the eyes of those in the audience, Lin Que was in danger since there was a tile-arrow in front of him and a human-bear at his back. If Lin Que made a small mistake, he would quickly lose the match under such a series of attacks!


      "Crack!"


      Lin Que came to an abrupt stop without the process of slowing himself down. The kinetic energy accumulated in the high-speed run was totally turned into the impact force of the Yin-yang Twist.


      Keeping the impact force within his body, Lin Que stretched out his left hand to draw a circle in the air following the pattern of Taiji, which soon slowed down the flying tile and finally stopped it in his palm. All of the horrible force that the piece of tile carried initially seemed to be absorbed by an invisible sponge with none of it remaining.


      As his muscles were shaking, Lin Que swung his swelling right arm quickly with the help of Yin-yang Twist and greeted the tree-knocking bear with a Meteor Blast!


      Poom!


      As if a bomb was set off in mid-air, the shockwave was burning as the giant bear knocked into the "explosion zone" and collided with Lin Que's fist directly.


      Bang!


      They stopped at the same time as if they both had failed to defeat each other, and a network of cracks began crawling outward from the ground under them.


      In the face of the burning blast, Piao Yuan felt so frightened that he hurried to close his eyes, drop his ears, and hold his breath.


      At the same time, he took the opportunity to turn around and throw his right arm out like a whip, aiming at Lin Que's neck.


      A true man was able to adapt himself to his environment, being cowardly or fierce when it was needed.


      Again shaking his body, Lin Que waved his arm with the force borrowed from the collision just now and punched toward Piao Yuan with his left fist.


      Rocket-like Punch!


      Bang!


      Their fists collided into each other with a dull thud, and there was a moment that they both paused in mid-air.


      In an instant, Lin Que and Piao Yuan withdrew their arms separately. While they both began shaking under the great counterforce, Piao Yuan could not even keep his balance.


      In the fierce battle between a Seventh-Pin fighter and a Mighty One born with abnormal strength, Lin Que gained the upper hand with his Yin-yang Twist!


      As an experienced fighter, Piao Yuan immediately forced his Qi and blood to flow back and thus maintained his stance. Then he began gathering all of his force and spirit in his lower abdomen.


      Instead of taking actions to dodge, Lin Que continued adjusting his Qi and blood to complete this explosion in a more fierce and quick way.


      Pop! They tightened the muscles in their legs at the same time and each withdrew their left foot.


      Bang!


      In a sudden blow of wind that came from nowhere, Lin Que managed to borrow the force with his shaking body and immediately withdrew his leg to again gather all of his Qi in his Dantian.


      Two consecutive strikes of Yin-yang Twist!


      Piao Yuan found that Lin Que was so disgusting to always attack him in the same way. However, he had no choice within such a distance but to also make a Force Concentration to face Lin Que's attack directly!


      Pop! Drawing his right arm back like a bowstring, Lin Que fiercely punched toward Piao Yuan with his fist.


      Pop! Piao Yuan was unable to block Lin Que's fist in time, so he chose to punch downward only to protect himself.


      Bang!


      When their fists met, a new gust of wind began wuthering in the ring. They both tightened all of their muscles.


      There was still no expression on Lin Que's face. Shaking his fascia, he again drive the force within his body to gather all the Qi, blood, spirit, and the other influential factors into his abdomen.


      Crack! Standing with his toes inward, he punched at Piao Yuan with his left palm in order to cleave him.


      Triple Explosion!


      Piao Yuan felt extremely desperate, but he still struggled to make an explosion of the Dan Stage and suddenly raised his arm to block Lin Que's attack.


      Bang!


      Being totally suppressed by Lin Que's series of actions to borrow force, Piao Yuan shook his body, trying to retreat.


      As soon as he took a step back, Piao Yuan suddenly realized that he was going to lose the match however he struggled. So without hesitation, he gathered all of his Qi in his Dantian to pull himself back and then pounced forward toward Lin Que.


      At that moment, Lin Que finished the gathering and realizing of his Qi and force in a short instant, and then stepped heavily onto the ground!


      Outside of Piao Yuan's expectations, Lin Que did not launch a new attack. Instead, he used the Earth Cracking of the Fighting Sect!


      Four consecutive explosions!


      Poom!


      As if there were a volcanic eruption within the ring, all of the tiles on the ground were broken and sent flying upward. Piao Yuan's feet were injured by the tiles and thus he lost his balance just at the moment he was about to pounce forward with the explosion of the Dan Stage.


      After stepping once onto the ground, Lin Que took the opportunity to flash to Piao Yuan's side. Noticing that Piao Yuan had missed his target and lost his balance, Lin Que drove the Qi in his Dantian and threw his arm fiercely at his opponent.


      Five consecutive explosions!


      He was indeed a Seventh-Pin fighter!


      In the face of Lin Que's attack, Piao Yuan was frightened and hurried to lower the center of his gravity by bending his back, which helped him pounce onto the ground as a Lazy Donkey Rolling!


      Of course, Lin Que would not miss this opportunity. Straightening his knees, he strode forward to catch up to Piao Yuan.


      After making several rolls, Piao Yuan felt the wind that was caused by great force blowing at his back. At that urgent moment, he suddenly recalled a scene that had left a deep impression on him, which encouraged him to pick up two handfuls of rubble and throw them at the chaser.


      Whoosh!


      All the rubble was flying at Lin Que's face like bullets!


      Lin Que again came to an abrupt stop. While his muscles were still shaking, he caught the flying stone when it was about to touch his face, and the stone was still spinning in his palm!


      Taking this opportunity, Piao Yuan stood up with Carp Jumping Moves.


      All of a sudden, Lin Que threw the stone at Piao Yuan backhanded, and the latter hurried to bend to dodge it in a difficult position.


      Sliding towards Piao Yuan, Lin Que launched a fierce attack with the Meteor Force!


      His arm swung at a high speed and suddenly punched somewhere between Piao Yuan's chest and abdomen.


      Having no time to take any other actions, Piao Yuan stretched out both arms to block Lin Que's attack.


      "Bang!"


      He was shocked greatly as if he was hit by a cannon, and the shock even awakened the injury within his body that was caused by Lou Cheng in the last round.


      As if a bell was ringing in his mind, Piao Yuan felt dizzy and blood rushed to his throat.


      He still struggled to defuse the shock with Force Concentration, but the inner injury prevented him from taking action in time before Lin Que's fist arrived at his throat.


      The referee lifted his right arm and announced loudly,


      "Round Three, Lin Que wins!"


      In the seats of the Songcheng University Martial Arts Club, Yan Zheke smiled and then turned her gaze toward Lou Cheng.


      "The scene just now was so familiar!"


      Cheng had once used Blowing Sand into the Eyes to dodge Wei Shengtian's attack and pull himself through that urgent moment.


      It surprised her that Piao Yuan had also done so just now!


      But the result was different.


      Lou Cheng laughed.


      "Totally different. I was in no hurry to stand up after using the Blowing Sand into the Eyes then. Instead, I approached Wei Shengtian to fight hand-to-hand against him, which finally helped me to turn the tables.


      "However good this coward may be at using Carp Jumping Moves, he lacks the courage to fight to the bitter end, and naturally, he can't save himself."


      Was it the so-called "blindly copying others and making oneself look foolish"?




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     386 Eight Arms
      Yan Zheke began laughing at both Lou Cheng's comments on Piao Yuan and Lin Que's victory. Now Huaihai had only one fighter remaining.


      While laughing happily, she still felt a little worried. "My brother seemed to be in a hurry to defeat Piao Yuan, so will it affect him in the next round?"


      "No. Piao Yuan is an Eighth-Pin fighter born with inhuman strength, and he was able to make five explosions within a short period. If he were lucky, he would have already gotten the certification of Seventh Pin. If Piao Yuan made up his mind to make the matches a war of attrition and fight like a coward, it would be very difficult for his opponents to find a chance to win. Piao Yuan even escaped with the help of the Dan-stage explosion, so there was nothing he wouldn't do!" Lou Cheng took a sip of the Sedative and Brain-invigorating Fluid and then continued with a smile, "Your brother's series of attacks are well-known to every fighter, so he had to use them as quickly as he could and destroy Piao Yuan directly without leaving him the chance to relax. Once Piao Yuan had escaped out of your brother's attack range, they would have had another round of attrition and he would have suffered a lot."


      She recalled his first competition with the Wensheng Sect, in which Zhou Zhengquan was unwilling to expend much energy on her since he wanted to prepare for the next round against Lin Que. However, the more stingy he was with his energy, the more he suffered the loss of it, which finally stopped him from accomplishing his goal.


      It was not advisable to hold too much back in Martial Arts Competitions!


      "I know… I'm just worried about my brother's condition after using up so much energy," Yan Zheke said with a little concern.


      Shaking the empty bottle, Lou Cheng felt better now, so he smiled and said in a relaxed manner,


      "Your brother is a normal Seventh-Pin fighter now, who is able to make six, or even seven, explosions within a short time. He has also learned the Zhe Formula and many other types of special Kung Fu, which is enough to support another five of his explosions in the next round if needed. So he has actually controlled the use of his energy well."


      When he taught Ke his Zhe Formula, the girl asked in embarrassment if her brother could also learn it, for it might help him to break the limit of his energy as soon as possible and reach the real Seventh Pin. Lou Cheng promised without hesitation since Lin Que was not only his relative but also his teammate.



      Even if Lou Cheng was able to defeat Peng Leyun within two years, he could not overthrow Shanbei University by himself!


      With the Zhe Formula's help, Lin Que succeeded in advancing by leaps and bounds, promoting himself from a weak Seventh Pin to a normal Seventh Pin within two months.


      "Yeah… I almost forget that…" Yan Zheke's facial expression read: "I'm just worrying too much about my brother, and you dare to have anything to say about it?"


      "Haha." Lou Cheng smiled, feeling an urge to rub Ke's head. But he stopped himself in time since he did not want to ruin her hairstyle.


      ...


      "Round Three, Lin Que wins!"


      In the live broadcast, the guest presenter, Chen Sansheng, smiled.


      "Though Songcheng University's substitutes are weaker than the other four universities', their second-leading fighter is tough enough, even tougher than any other team's."


      "The four universities" referred to Shanbei, Capital, Huahai, and Guangnan, and their second-leading fighters were Fang Zhirong, Chen Diguo, Piao Yuan, and Li Xiaoyuan. Piao Yuan was nearly a Seventh Pin, and Li Xiaoyuan was the same as him, whose fighting style was more flexible. Fang Zhirong was stung to practice hard after being defeated by Lin Que and was now a weak Seventh-Pin fighter. As for Chen Diguo, who was going to graduate from school this year, he was a normal Seventh-Pin Mighty One with no special ancestral Kung Fu.


      "The gods favored two are enough to conquer the world, we all know that," Liu Chang said jokingly and then changed the topic to a serious one. "Piao Yuan was finally hit by the Meteor Force, which shocked him and triggered his inner injury. So he couldn't dodge it in time, right?"


      "Yes," Chen Sansheng replied briefly.


      Liu Chang was confused. "Why didn't Lin Que use the Meteor Force at the beginning to create more opportunities for himself? Why did he have to make explosions?"


      "He didn't have a chance to use it at the beginning." Chen Sansheng smiled. "Not to mention that the frequency that a Seventh-Pin fighter at the Dan Stage can use his force is also limited, except for some special force…


      "When Lou Cheng hit Piao Yuan with his newly-mastered simplified movements of physical invulnerability, he was actually at the end of his rope and thus his attacks were not as powerful as before, which didn't injure Piao Yuan very much. If he hadn't forced Piao Yuan to make the Dan-stage explosion, Piao Yuan would have defused the shock easily with Force Concentration and immediately ran out of his attacking range. Yeah, while the others were blocking while fighting, Piao Yuan was blocking while escaping."


      He could not help complaining about Piao Yuan's fighting style, even though he was just a commentator.


      "Haha, I hadn't expected that the fierce-looking Piao Yuan would fight in such a manner!" It took Liu Chang great effort to prevent the word "coward" from spouting out of his mouth. "He was not like this in previous matches…"


      "That was because his previous opponents were all weaker than him, so he was fierce and aggressive." Chen Sansheng smiled. "To put it in another way, he carried out his plan firmly."


      While they were chatting, Xing Jingjing stood up. Ann Chaoyang knew that she was afraid of touching others, so he just waved his arm instead of giving her five.


      "Good luck!"


      Xing Jingjing nodded slightly and then walked toward the stone steps quickly. When she was halfway there, she encountered Piao Yuan, who was spitting out blood with his spit!


      "Are you badly injured?" Xing Jingjing asked unconsciously while keeping a distance from him.


      "No." The muscles in Piao Yuan's face were twitching. "Lou Cheng's Internal Explosion, well, Internal Explosion exactly plus Lin Que's Meteor Force—they shocked my teeth to the point of bleeding. Go on, give him no chance to restore his vigor!"


      "Okay." Xing Jingjing moved round Piao Yuan and arrived in front of the stone steps.


      At that moment, on the broadcasting screen, she suddenly appeared in the ring.


      "Teleportation?" Liu Chang could not believe his eyes.


      "No, she has just made the most of her illusion supernatural ability." Chen Sansheng was interested in it. "Quite interesting…"


      It seemed that he was even more skilled at creating illusions than Xing Jingjing!


      While his opponent was getting herself prepared, Lin Que stood still silently. The rhythm of his breathing was even and there was not much sweat on his forehead.


      The referee of this round was the competition supervisor of the previous matches. Now he was standing in the center of the ring, raising his right hand.


      After pausing for several seconds, he waved his arm downward as Lin Que and Xing Jingjing caught each other's eyes.


      "Begin!" he announced.


      While the referee's voice was still echoing above the ring, Xing Jingjing pounced at Lin Que with a breaststroke kick. Though everyone knew that it might be an illusion, Lin Que could not ignore it since it might be a real attack without using her special supernatural ability.


      Closing his eyes partly, Lin Que counted to two in his mind and then suddenly raised his arms to punch dozens of times in all directions with the help of his stretching fascia and swinging joints.


      "Bang! Bang! Bang!"


      In the explosive sounds, Lin Que's attacks covered most parts of his surroundings as if he had more than two arms.


      Eight-Arm Divine Punch, the 113th movement of the Fighting Sect.


      It was derived from the first movement of the Fighting Sect, Meteor Shower!


      The first nine movements of the Fighting Sect were all special Kung Fu of physical invulnerability, among which the ninth movement was the most powerful. As for the rest of the movements of the Fighting Sect, they were all derived from the movements of the Dan Stage and were led by the 10th movement, Doomed Death.


      "Bang! Bang! Bang!"


      The wide-ranging quick attack continued for a while before the audience heard a dull thud from mid-air as if Lin Que's fist had hit something. At the same time, Xing Jingjing's figure suddenly disappeared!


      Less than one meter from Lin Que's left side, the tall girl appeared again with her right arm raised to block Lin Que's attack.


      Once Xing Jingjing's real location was confirmed, Lin Que put his right hand on his abdomen, gathered strength under his feet, and then turned sideways to rush at the girl like a shooting star.


      The 35th movement of the Fighting Sect, Meteor Falling!


      Bang!


      Lin Que's action created a gust of fierce wind and even shook the air. However, when he was about to collide with Xing Jingjing, the girl's figure immediately disintegrated like an inverted reflection in the water!


      At that moment, Lin Que's right hand quickly slid down from his abdomen to grasp and to block the girl at the same time.


      He had really touched Xing Jingjing just now and fought hand-to-hand with her, so he was sure that she was standing right there and that she could not make an efficient dodge in such a short time.


      Now there was only one possibility!


      Bang!


      A delicate pale fist appeared from nowhere, which was thrown toward Lin Que's abdomen but was finally blocked by his right palm.


      Since her location was exposed just now, Xing Jingjing immediately squatted while making an illusion to appear that she had not moved at all. With this series of actions, she dodged Lin Que's "Meteor" punch, then she took the opportunity to throw her fist at Lin Que's vital part!


      In the various changes of Meteor Falling, it was an expected movement and had already been analyzed by the other fighters. Otherwise, Lin Que would not put his hand on his abdomen while using this movement in order to block the possible attacks from his opponent!


      The top ancestral Kung Fu was always standing on the shoulders of all the martial arts masters from generation to generation.




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     387 Doppelganger
      Bam!


      As soon as Lin Que's right palm was hit, it bounced back and his arm began to shake and fling forth mechanically, drawing a beautiful curve towards the enemy's wrist.


      After the miss, Xing Jingjing pulled back her fist and made an aerial cartwheel to avoid any further contact and the rival's catch.


      Bam! Almost at the same time when her body moved, Lin Que's left leg tightened like a whip. His kick missed by a tiny little bit and touched the tip of her clothes.


      If Xing Jingjing was a split second slower, she would have suffered the strike.


      Watching her rolling away, Lin Que memorized the trend of her movement. As he curved and then immediately flicked his spine, his body was fired out after the enemy, giving her no opportunity to get up.


      He understood the rival was able to affect air, bent light rays, and create illusions. He ignored the sudden disappearance of her figure and threw himself to the spot he had predicted she would roll to.


      He had predicted her position based on the trend of her rolling. It was pretty much the instinct of a capable martial artist.


      Bam! Lin Que suddenly stopped, switching from Yin to Yang and turning his kinetic energy into strength in his right leg. His kick charged forth to the spot where nobody seemed to be with a fierce wind and a crispy sound.


      He was confident Xing Jingjing was there.


      Phew! The sound of wind broke out when Lin Que's whip kick missed his target.


      His eyes narrowed. He had a moment of doubt about his own judgment about the enemy's super power but soon he came to a realization.


      " Yes, my prediction about Xing Jingjing's rolling trend is right. But is this location actually the spot I had foreseen in my head?


      "Xing Jingjing can't cover the trend of her movement immediately after physical contact, but she can distort light rays to interfere with my sensations and move her landing spot in a horizontal direction. Hence, when I thought I was following the route in my head, I was actually inclined to one side or didn't move far enough. Of course my kick missed."


      A few meters ahead of him, the tall and slim figure of Xing Jingjing reappeared, her face cold and her eyes grim. She slid towards him, her left fist reaching out towards his lower stomach.



      Lin Que's eyes were back to normal, but deeper and gloomier. He calmly inhaled, condensing all of his feelings at one particular spot within his lower belly, hollow and withered as if he no longer existed.


      Bang! Like a volcano suddenly exploding, his Dan force dashed out and his right arm inflated and tightened, smashing forth like a massive hammer.


      The 127th move of the Fighting Sect, Meteor Blast!


      Bam!


      A bomb seemed to have detonated between them. Noticeable white waves appeared in the air, billowing to all directions from Lin Que and tearing Xing Jingjing's body into pieces at once. She disappeared instantly.


      Seven to eight meters away to the right, a tall and slim figure appeared, and that was none other than Xing Jingjing.


      Lin Que knew that the key to her superpower lay in the air, the communication medium for light rays, sound waves, and smells. She could create illusions that were extremely real, which he couldn't compete with but could destroy.


      Shockwaves from the exploded Meteor Blast could put the air into a frantic status, making it hard, if not impossible, for Xing Jingjing to control it.


      "Destruction is usually easier than construction!"


      That was Lin Que's method to break the illusion. It was exhausting but effective. It was the last round and he had no other concerns left.


      Among the rolling airwaves, Lin Que's waist lowered and bounced and his qi and blood shrank and released. The Double Explosion was completed.


      Crack!


      With the cracking sound, he dashed towards Xing Jingjing to his right at full speed in an extremely secret and mysterious way.


      The distance of seven or eight meters took this Dan stage martial artist no time to cross. In a split second, Lin Que arrived at the face of his rival.


      He stopped on a dime about one meter away from Xing Jingjing and the dead silence was replaced by an ear-piercing noise of friction.


      His body shivered to the unpleasant noise and he switched between Yin and Yang, his left fist reaching out fiercely, tearing apart whatever stood in the way.


      Poom!


      Another intense explosive sound as he once again performed the 127th move of the Fighting Sect, Meteor Blast!


      The airwaves took a physical form, rolling and billowing. Xing Jingjing's body shook violently and broke into numerous pieces. Less than two meters away from her figure, some hair was floating in the air and a human figure was appearing.


      She had managed to make a slight movement and created an illusion during Lin Que's approach.


      She didn't expect Lin Que to be this careful to use another Meteor Blast instead of a direct strike.


      Right after the punch, Lin Que withdrew his qi and blood and completed the Triple Explosion.


      Bam! Before the airwaves settled, he had already flown his strength to his right foot smoothly. He suddenly stamped the green tile as if he intended to damage it.


      Clang!


      The ground under Xing Jingjing shook abruptly and cracked open, shooting shards out. She lost balance and fell backwards.


      The 16th move of the Fighting Sect, Earth Cracking!


      Only until now, Lin Que slid forward rapidly towards the spot he had predicted in his head with the force coming back from the stamp, his eyes closed and his mind free from all the obstructions.


      Bam! His right arm shook and his right palm reached out to catch his target and finish her with the Doomed Death.


      In such a dangerous situation, Xing Jingjing gave up on the attempt to control her balance and let her body fall back to the ground, her right leg turning into a whip to launch a powerful upward kick.


      In the meantime, she exerted her superpower to the fullest.


      Lin Que's right hand paused, his body shivering gently and muscles on his thighs swollen, his knees straightened and insteps tightened. He quickly threw a kick to block the whip kick.


      Bang!


      Their legs sprang back. Lin Que was about to throw another kick to finish the enemy when his back hair suddenly stood up and his skin and muscles felt a gentle tingle from a strike.


      A few dozen centimeters behind him, Xing Jingjing's figure formed, her right fist reaching out to the center of Lin Que's back.


      If it was another Dan stage martial artist, he would have taken on a defensive position or dodged when he sensed dangers through the Absolute Reaction. A miss would be better than a mistake. However, it was Lin Que. His face remained unaffected, eyes deep and introverted, very confident in his own judgment. His right foot rose, and this powerful kick was targeted at Xing Jingjing's collapsed body.


      Bang!


      Xing Jingjing lifted her arm to take the kick. Her entire body was sent backward by the kick and she completely lost her ability to defend and react.


      At the very same time, the Xing Jingjing behind him hit his back. A stream of force pushed the single-legged Lin Que out, close to a fall.


      It was not a play or a fake move!


      To be more exact, it was not a real false move!


      Xing Jingjing's superpower had improved significantly in the past six months. It was now able to condense the air to create a minor explosion, which could then be combined with her illusions and create a doppelganger of herself in a fight. She was currently capable of creating two clones at the same time, each of which could throw one punch with the power of an average human. Truth and false became hard to tell, and fiction and reality seemed impossible to differentiate.


      Lin Que normally wouldn't be affected much by such an attack. However, he had one foot in the air and lost his balance.


      Withdrawing his qi and blood rapidly, Lin Que gently touched the ground with his right foot and managed to regain his balance with the Force Concentration. Xing Jingjing was still rolling, unable to get up.


      Bam! With his force concentrated, Lin Que stamped the ground with both of his feet and threw himself out.


      He didn't aim at the rolling Xing Jingjing but slightly tilted his focus.


      Pang!


      As his body stretched out into a side bump, a figure was pushed out of the void. That was none other than Xing Jingjing.


      The moment when Lin Que lost his balance, she created another illusion to cover her physical form and got up with the Carp Jumping Move.


      Lin Que strode forth, his shoulders exerting strength to throw his arms out. His hands stopped at Xing Jingjing's temples.


      The referee looked carefully to make sure it was her actual body before making an announcement.


      "Round four, Lin Que!"


      "The final result of the match... Songcheng University Martial Arts Club wins!"


      In Huahai's seating area, Ann Chaoyang burst into a quiet laugh, a bit upset. Piao Yuan knocked his bald head with his own fist.


      Losing to Songcheng University left them one and only way out: fighting Shanbei, Capital or Guangnan to the death.


      In the ring, Xing Jingjing asked bluntly after a moment of blankness,


      "How did you figure it out in the end?"


      He didn't destroy the illusion with another Meteor Blast...


      Lin Que put down his hands, his eyes deep but less intense. He answered in an unconcerned way,


      "The arena told me."


      Xing Jingjing was able to manipulate air, distort the propagation, and create illusions. However, the arena was another medium that couldn't be affected by her power. When they were close enough, Lin Que could hear how his rival got up from the ground and how the rolling figure in front of him had no actual weight.


      "What did my cousin say? He looked so cool... " asked Yan Zheke out of curiosity after a wave of cheers. "Sister Jingjing began a conversation with him!"


      "Looks like I should pick up some lip reading skills," joked Lou Cheng. Behind him, Li Mao and Sun Jian stood up, clapping and cheering for the victory.


      "Lin Que never fails to impress me! He scored another win when everybody thought he was exhausted."


      Yan Zheke pouted and complained quietly,


      "I'm so annoyed. I didn't have a chance to get in the ring again!"


      "Don't be upset. I'll probably go in last after you in the quarter-final. I would be very concerned if you had to fight with Sister Jingjing." Lou Cheng comforted his girlfriend with a warm smile.


      "As long as Xing Jingjing is still able to fight with her superpower, she makes a very hard rival for any professional ninth pin fighter."


      Yan Zheke looked about before getting close to Lou Cheng's ear. She lowered her voice in a timid manner.


      "Cheng, I have a secret to share with you."


      "What secret?" Lou Cheng's interest was instantly aroused.


      Yan Zheke bit her bottom lip gently and turned her head away.


      "I told you the source of Sister Jingjing's superpower was her fear. It was real. I also told you she would feel too safe in front of me to perform her superpower fully. That was just my assumption...


      "I made it up to embolden myself...


      "It has been many years since Sister Jingjing first discovered her superpower. She is probably able to manipulate it at will."


      Phew! Lou Cheng burst into a laugh. He found Yan Zheke extremely adorable and cute and wanted to kiss her so badly. He moved closer and lowered his voice,


      "Ke, I also have a secret to share with you."


      "What is it?" Yan Zheke's eyes widened, filled with curiosity.


      Lou Cheng answered with a smirk,


      "I want to kiss you right now."




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     388 The Meaning of Born at Wrong Times
      Apparently, Yan Zheke didn't expect her boyfriend's secret to be this. She glared at him, annoyed and amused and complained silently with her lips,


      "Pervert!"


      "How come Cheng suddenly began to tease?


      "How embarrassing it would be to kiss in front of so many people?


      "Is it really like what is written in those books that a man will become aroused and secrete more hormones after a fierce fight? "


      While she was thinking about it seriously, Lou Cheng added with a grin,


      "The little fairy encouraging herself is too cute. I can't resist."


      "Ahh... " Yan Zheke got it, shy and pleased. She eyed him with a secret smile.


      "Go ahead and think about it."


      "Only thinking?" Lou Cheng burst into a laugh and almost moved forward to plant a kiss on her cheek. He glanced about and saw cameras on them, capturing images of the victors. He forced himself to resist the temptation.


      …


      In Huahai University Martial Arts Club's seating area, Ann Chaoyang heaved a silent sigh after glancing at the disheartened Piao Yuan and low-spirited Xing Jingjing. He clapped and put on a wry smile.


      "What is it? Are we eliminated already?


      "Losing to Songcheng University is not the end of the world. We still have a good chance. We might get Guangnan in the quarter-finals. We have a one-third opportunity getting them from the draw.


      "Even if we got Shanbei or Capital, we will not be doomed to a defeat. We don't have many options, but we can fight all out with our backs to the river!"


      Listening to Brother An's words and thinking about him leaving the martial arts club after this tournament, Piao Yuan and Zhang Dongliang were suddenly filled with emotions and passion.


      They exchanged a glance and shouted in chorus,


      "Fight all out with our backs to the river!"



      Standing a bit far from them, Xing Jingjing kept her mouth closed, but there were emotions in her eyes and her fists grasped tightly.


      …


      In the studio, host Liu Chang commented with a tinge of emotion,


      "Congratulations, Songcheng University, for advancing into the top eight. A seat in the top four is not far. Good luck, Huahai. I hope you guys can continue in the tournament further."


      "This is martial arts. Everyone is becoming better, and a championship doesn't grant you any privilege," responded Chen Sansheng. "I didn't expect Ann Chaoyang to bid his farewells to this tournament and the university martial arts circle like this."


      Liu Chang was obviously surprised. "Isn't it too early to say that? What if Huahai meets Guangnan the next? They still have a chance."


      "Of course. Even if they get Shanbei or Capital the next, I'm sure they still have a chance. However, what can they do the next? More injuries? More exhaustion? How much could they recover by the semi-finals?" Chen Sansheng heaved a sigh. "A seat in the top four would be the best result for Huahai in this tournament. The very same results three years in a row for Ann Chaoyang. What a pity for him!"


      Liu Chang continued in the emotional tone of a professional host, "That's right. Huahai University under An Chaoyang's reign has come to an end, but Huahai will go on with many capable fighters. Piao Yuan and Xing Jingjing in their third year, Zhang Dongliang in his second year, and the freshman Liu Yuntao. They will begin a new era and rise again next year."


      A wry smile climbed on Chen Sansheng's face.


      "I want to be honest with you. I know it might hurt the feelings of students from Huahai, but the truth is the truth... Huahai's team-building is pretty decent with capable fighters in each year. However, there is a saying about being born at wrong times."


      "Peng Leyun and Ren Li are in their third year, and Lou Cheng and Lin Que are only sophomores. Piao Yuan, Xing Jingjing, and Zhang Dongliang were born at wrong times."


      "If it was a few years earlier or later, they would be capable enough to shine in the university martial arts circle. However, these days, there are nine suns blazing in the sky. How can they shine?"


      Liu Chang sighed. "That reminds me of one phrase. I better keep it to myself."


      "One should fight for his own destiny, but the historical process can't be denied. Piao Yuan and Xing Jingjing are apparently in a good but brutal era."


      "There is someone setting the bar, making up examples, passing on experience, and providing challenges. The university martial arts circle is becoming better, and many not-so-promising amateur fighters are inspired and provoked to attend professional competitions and live a completely different life."


      "The harsh part about it is that they can only serve as a foil."


      "Sigh... No matter what, I wish Ann Chaoyang the best. I hope he will shine brighter in his new chapter in life!" said Chen Sansheng genuinely. "The duo of Lou Cheng and Lin Que have displayed their outstanding performance. They have a great chance of winning the championship this year. I would say they are the third favorite for the title, only after Shanbei and Capital."


      Liu Chang giggled. "I can't wait to see the quarter-final matches draws."


      "That will determine the semi-final match table!"


      "Just the thought of it makes my blood boil!"


      "Two more days of wait. Anyway, congratulations, Songcheng University, for advancing into the top eight as the head of the group!" said Chen Sansheng with his fist grasped gently. "Lou Cheng is indeed one of the Heavenly Sons."


      …


      In Lou Cheng's fan forum, Yan Xiaoling, Eternal Nightfall, published a celebration post.


      "A battle to rewrite our name!"


      She didn't have the opportunity to be the first one to reply to her own post because Brahman got it with a firecracker.


      "Victory! Victory! Victory!"


      "Don't you have more things to say?" replied All Good Names Are Taken By Dogs with the same emoji. "Victory! Victory! Victory! Victory! Victory! Double!"


      "Upstairs, your math teacher would be mad," Unparalleled Dragon King joked.


      Yan Xiaoling coughed. "Calm down. Everybody, calm down. Wherever you are, calm down. Let's get ready for the first-hand report from our journalist Gao from the front. Hmm... I'm so excited that I feel hungry. I need a moment to think about what food I have in my dorm room... "


      "Why not order some takeaway?" asked Road to the Arena in disbelief.


      "I'll have to go downstairs to get it if I order takeaway... " Yan Xiaoling was very honest about how lazy she was.


      "I have difficulties understanding girls in their teens... " sighed Road to the Arena.


      Many Cats finally published a post.


      "Lou Cheng and Lin Que just finished their post-match interview. They are in the bathroom taking a shower right now. I can hear singing among the water sounds. 'This mountain road has 18 curves'... Well, I'm not telling you who is singing for Lou Cheng's privacy since I don't want my ass kicked.


      "During the entire interview, Lin Que said only three words: Hmm, yes, and no, which is a new record for himself. To be honest, I really miss the interaction between journalist Shu and him.


      "Coach Shi is on the phone with someone unknown. His face is beaming with joy, his brows dancing and his spirits high...


      "Sister Yan is playing with her mobile with a beautiful smile. I guess she's laughing at your clowning around. She has some specially made ointment next to her, waiting for Lou Cheng to show off their love. They are going to kill us single dogs. Don't ask me how a cat can be a single dog.


      "Brother Sun Jian and Brother Li Mao are discussing their possible rivals in the coming quarter-final match, who will get the opportunity to fight, and how they should spend their bonus money... "


      The national university martial arts tournament was watched and followed by many, and its royalty check was much fatter than most professional preliminaries. Teams that failed to make it to the top eight would get enough to cover their flight tickets, accommodation, and food expenses. Once they advanced to the top eight, they would have extra to share with all the team members. The exact number, of course, would depend on their final achievement.


      "That's enough about them. What about you? Anything exciting besides reporting from the front?" asked Unparalleled Dragon King with a grin.


      Many Cats blushed.


      "I'm working on my shopping cart and waiting for my share of the bonus money!"


      …


      To celebrate their advance with the best result from their group and to prepare for the quarter-finals, Geezer Shi generously granted a day off tomorrow and treated all members to a dinner of crayfish with their public fund.


      It was almost 10:30 when they arrived at the hotel after dinner. Lou Cheng walked Yan Zheke to her room and bade his farewells while noises from their team members were still echoing in the corridor.


      "Talker didn't come up?" asked Yan Zheke casually so she didn't have to say goodbye yet.


      "His girlfriend is coming to visit. He must wait on his knees at the entrance." Lou Cheng poked fun at Ming.


      After some small talk, Yan Zheke checked her watch and smiled.


      "Aren't you ready for bed? The Sedative and Brain-invigorating Fluid is not as good as a sound, deep sleep."


      "Sure." Lou Cheng rubbed his swollen temples and waved goodbye when some stranger passed by.


      When he was about to turn around, Yan Zheke looked left and right, with light glittering in her eyes. She said in an almost whispering manner,


      "Didn't you say you want to kiss me?"




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     389 The Top and Bottom Halves
      Yan Zheke knew exactly what would be resulted from her words, and she was ready for it and kind of excited about it. After watching Lou Cheng overtake Ann Chaoyang, experiencing Songcheng University's victory over Huahai, and being teased by her boyfriend, she longed to get intimate with Cheng.


      However, Lou Cheng's response was way beyond her expectations. He casually took over the keycard, hugged her tight, and carried her into the room. She felt high above the clouds, dizzy, and moony until Lou Cheng's last wave of passion settled. She saw faint lights shining through the window and sensed the softness of the bed and the heat from the naked body lying next to her.


      Phew… She was still panting, recalling what had just happened. Bashful and shy, she kicked Lou Cheng's calf gently and complained like a spoiled child,


      "I thought you said kiss."


      Stroking her silky back with his right hand, Lou Cheng answered with a grin,


      "Yeah, I was kissing. Yeah."


      He was proud like a cat after its secret intimacy.


      A scene flashed back in her head where Lou Cheng buried his face in her chest and her hands unconsciously rubbed and grabbed his hair.


      Hit by a rash of embarrassment, her face was hot, shoulders shaking, and fist reaching out to his chest.


      Bam! In the sound of wind, she suddenly remembered she was no longer a weak girl. A capable Professional Ninth Pin fighter like her she could smash a rock with one punch. She quickly scattered her concentrated force and touched Lou Cheng gently.


      "Don't worry. I concentrated my force to dissolve your strike," said Lou Cheng with a loving smile.


      Yan Zheke rolled her eyes at him, but her scold was replaced by some laughter.


      "What is so funny?" asked Lou Cheng, confused, as he tightened his hug.


      Yan Zheke pursed her lips, moved her eyes about, and answered in a glamorous manner, "I suddenly remembered an awkward incident with my cousin."


      "Ji Lingxi?" Asked Lou Cheng out of curiosity.


      "Yeah. My grandfather's family trait is reserved and prudent. My cousin didn't date any boys until her freshman year in university. Of Professional Ninth Pin, she was gifted with some odd might by birth." Yan Zheke had joy in her eyes. "Her first kiss happened in a pavilion in the university. She was sitting on a stone bench and he was kissing her from a commanding position. She was so excited and confused that she couldn't control herself. He right hand grabbed the stone bench so tight and broke it into two… "



      "Ha! What next?" Lou Cheng was amused just imagining the scene.


      "Next? He turned pale with fear and broke up with her on QQ after a few days. My cousin was so lost… Ha-hah." Yan Zheke laughed so much that she couldn't continue. After a dozen seconds, she began to compliment herself. "Fortunately, I have the idea of self-control deep in my head. It has become part of my instinct."


      Lou Cheng put on a doubtful look on purpose.


      "Really? Look around first."


      Yan Zheke looked around, puzzled. She noticed how messy the bed was with sheets and duvet piled up in the middle.


      She suddenly remembered another fascinating moment when she bit her lip hard, pulled the sheet in with both hands, and kicked Lou Cheng every now and then in hopes of making him stop, but he lay tight on her.


      If only they didn't have a last bit of rationality left in them in the end, they would have already moved to the next level…


      Sigh… When love and feelings thickened to a point, it would be really hard to keep things under control…


      As the scenes flashed back, Yan Zheke's face turned very red, hiding her eyes from Lou Cheng and pinching him here and there. She bent over, reaching to her underwear hanging on her ankle with her right hand.


      "It's your fault! Your fault!" She gave Lou Cheng three punches with some strength but not very powerful.


      Lou Cheng smiled, satisfied and pleased, recalling the thrill and excitement they had earlier.


      "That's my little fairy!" Liu Cheng thought to himself with a smile.


      "You… How could you… " Yan Zheke moved her body slightly away from him, scared a little bit.


      "Didn't Tong say every man has some non-responsive period?"


      "Cough… Because you are so attractive and I'm completely drawn by you." Lou Cheng had become an extremely sweet talker.


      Yan Zheke stared at Lou Cheng with mixed feelings of joy and annoyance. She remembered how they changed a new position so it wouldn't spill on her body and felt the soreness in her legs. She kicked Lou Cheng. "Bring my nightie over! I need a shower."


      "I'm so sticky everywhere."


      Lou Cheng nodded happily and went nakedly to take her pajamas from the couch.


      Yan Zheke took a quick glance at him and then immediately closed her eyes and buried her face between pillows.


      She put on her pajamas under the duvet before getting out of bed and going to the bathroom. She suddenly stopped, afraid of turning her head around. "You… You make the bed… "


      "Yes, Coach Yan!" answered Lou Cheng with a sneer.


      Yan Zheke had her eyes closed, relaxed under the hot water, thinking back to what had happened just now. She was still a bit panicked as it went so fast. But she liked being so intimate with Cheng.


      She asked herself if she was ready for this and if she was sure about this relationship. She was very positive that she wanted to give herself completely to him.


      However, she held fears for that thing that she had not yet experienced. She was afraid that things which came too easy were not to be cherished. She felt scared that the passion between them would fade and the feelings they had for each other would change once they moved to the next stage. She feared for all the unknown.


      She trusted Cheng, but she couldn't put away those fears that were pulling her from moving forward.


      "All girls are swayed by considerations of gain and loss, aren't they? "


      After the shower, she stepped out and dried her hair with a towel. She looked into a distance and said to Lou Cheng bashfully,


      "It's your turn."


      "Yeah. I'll blow dry your hair after my shower." Lou Cheng's heart was extremely tender.


      "It's almost 11:30. Are you not doing your morning exercises tomorrow?" Yan Zheke turned with a puzzled look.


      "I'll do them. I've spent quite some time here. A little bit longer won't be a problem. Lacking sleep for a day is no big deal." Lou Cheng smiled brightly. "I know what is more important. Heheh."


      "You know nothing. Go and take a shower!" Yan Zheke rolled her eyes. The dimples in her cheeks were so obvious.


      Lou Cheng came out of the bathroom with a hair drier and plugged it in. Yan Zheke sat next to him. He carefully blew her long hair.


      Yan Zheke sat elegantly, her eyes half closed, enjoying this moment of gentleness and tenderness.


      Lou Chen saw a piece of cloth on the bed from the corner of his eye and asked without thinking,


      "Are you not wearing your bra?"


      Yan Zheke puffed out her cheeks and answered casually,


      "It's not comfortable to sleep with it."


      "You used to sleep with it." Lou Cheng was actually confused.


      "I didn't really know you before." Yan Zheke chuckled.


      "You didn't know me? We were sharing a bed… " Lou Cheng felt amused. "Do you know me well enough now?"


      "Not really, but I have abandoned myself," answered Yan Zheke. "I don't know any girl who likes to sleep with her bra on."


      Lou Cheng nodded. "I think I have just gained some new knowledge."


      "Of course. I'm your Coach Yan!" Yan Zheke rolled her eyes and transformed into a curious kid. "Cheng, I have a question to ask you. Are all guys different when they are doing that? Like a pervert? You usually are calm and gentlemanly. How could you talk like a pervert?"


      Lou Cheng laughed and cleared his throat. "That's pretty normal. Should I keep my face straight in bed? Should I chant political slogans while kissing you?"


      "Stop it… Don't make me laugh." Yan Zheke hammered the bed with her hands.


      It was after midnight when they finished with her hair. Lou Cheng fell asleep with the soft and tender Yan Zheke and got up at 5:30 without waking her up.


      Lou Cheng planted a gentle kiss on her lips after carefully putting on his clothes and washing his face. He walked out of the room, his heart soft and warm.


      The sun came out very early in the capital. Red clouds were already vaguely visible in the sky.


      …


      Two days later, the group stage of the tournament ended and the committee held the quarter-finals drawing ceremony. Lou Cheng and his team members were all invited to the arena as guests.


      Except for some ups and downs in Group D, other groups had nothing surprising. Seeds Shanbei, Capital, and Guangnan, along with second grade teams Guoyang, Jinfeng, and Jiuqu had advanced to the next stage.


      According to the rules, the quarter-finals would be held in two halves and the winners of the two halves would confront each other in the final match. In other words, the four teams in the first places of their groups would be separated into two divisions and the two of them would meet each other in the semi-finals unless something went wrong.


      After a brief speech and some introduction, Fang Jinyu drew the first team from the four group leaders.


      "Songcheng University Martial Arts Club!"


      Err… Unconsciously, Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke changed their sitting positions, looking forward to finding out their next rival and guessing their potential enemy in the semi-finals.


      "Jinfeng University Martial Arts Club." Fang Jinyu pulled out Songcheng University's rival for the quarter-finals from the three second-position teams other than Huahai.


      "It won't make much a difference." Lou Cheng didn't really care. He kept his eyes on the second guest who was about to draw the other group leader for the top half.


      After a moment of waiting, the guest pulled out a ball and showed it to the audience with a smile.


      "Capital College Martial Arts Club!"


      Phew. I knew we wouldn't have the fortune to have Guangnan… Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke exchanged a glance, not really disappointed but full of the will to fight.


      We are going to challenge Ren Li and her teammates.


      The top half was settled and the first team for the bottom half would be:


      "Shanbei University Martial Arts Club!"


      And Shanbei's rival would be:


      "Huahai University Martial Arts Club!"


      Ann Chaoyang leaned back on his chair upon hearing the announcement, half high-spirited and half relieved.


      "Well, this can be good."


      Yeah, it's not bad to have the opportunity to fight with the old rival again without being distracted by the one who threw me down from the throne.




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     390 All“s Fair in War
      When Huahai drew the lot, the match between Guangnan and Jiuqu was set. During the broadcast, viewers posted their comments:


      "I think Shanbei is lucky!"


      "Right. The winner of Capital VS Songcheng will be exhausted. Even if no one is injured, their fatigue alone would not be recovered in two or three days."


      "Not likely. The only hard enemy Capital or Songcheng have to fight is each other, and the rest of their rivals are mediocre. But Shanbei is about to fight against Huahai and Guangnan consecutively. Who has a better arrangement is hard to tell."


      "I'm looking forward to the match between Shanbei and Huahai. I don't think Peng Leyun took the game seriously in his previous matches, and now we can finally find out his true strength."


      "I'd like to skip all of the quarterfinals and see how Ren Li fights against Lou Cheng."


      ...


      Despite all of the discussion, the odds of winning predicted by the lottery companies had changed. The odds for Shanbei to win dropped lower because more were expecting them to win, while the odds for Capital and Songcheng became higher but their order remained. And they both ranked lower than Guangnan. The odds for Huahai were way up since they were not considered the team to take the crown.


      The expectations and speculations reflected the audience's opinions and mood.


      ...


      At 10:20 PM, after watching several match videos of Jinfeng University and reading the latest comments and analysis in Yan Zheke's room, Lou Cheng had been kicked out by Yan and he went back to his own room.


      After washing his face and brushing his teeth, Lou Cheng lay on his bed, where he tossed and turned restlessly. He just couldn't fall asleep.


      Since their relationship had lifted to another level, Lou Cheng tried his best to restrain himself and not to affect Yan Zheke's fighting state. He could not afford to expose their intimacy as it may turn into a subject of widespread gossip. Nevertheless, when night fell, Lou Cheng couldn't help but stay over in Yan's room or sneak off to her room to make out with Yan. He was satisfied.


      Lou Cheng could stop on a dime, but when it came to Yan, he doubted his self-discipline. He always held the horse at the last minute. He was the fighter who could get up at 5:30 AM every morning and never touched tobacco or alcohol. He set a good example for the other fighters, but he couldn't control himself when it came to seeing his fairy girlfriend.



      "Maybe Yan is just too attractive, or perhaps I love her too much..." Lou Cheng went off on flights of fancy and a faint smile appeared on his face.


      He thought about the fact that except for the things he had read in books or seen in movies, all of his romantic experience came from Yan, including his first and most exciting experience. His heart and his bones were shaped by Yan Zheke's love...


      Everyone told him that his first would be the most unforgettable, and Lou had many first experiences with Zheke...


      Lou Cheng's mind was in a tumult and he suddenly picked up his phone to send Yan Zheke a message.


      "I was just thinking that you're my first love and that it is so great."


      Yan Zheke did not have to wake up at 5:30 AM, and when she received the message, she was just playing with her phone. Her astonishment mingled with amusement, plus a sense of pride.


      She immediately replied to Lou Cheng.


      "It's late. Go to sleep."


      Huh, don't think I'll be disoriented by your tender words.


      "I can't sleep without my fairy hugging me... " Lou Cheng pretended to be pitiful.


      Yan Zheke was annoyed and amused at the same time.


      "Conceal your Spirit and Qi and meditate. Then you will sleep like a log!"


      Lou Cheng was amused. As he was typing "Yes, Coach Yan", he received a second message from Yan.


      "Fine. Come over. But all you can do is sleep!"


      Lou Cheng was surprised at first, then he became wild with joy and he quickly jumped out of his bed.


      Yan Zheke turned sideways and rested her blushing face on a pillow as she sent a third message.


      She also sent an emoji of a serious and honest-looking creature.


      "You are a naughty boy!"


      "And you are my love." Lou Cheng replied shamelessly. He grabbed his martial arts suit, opened his door, and looked around. He then snuck off to Yan's room. and instead of knocking. he sent her a message — "I am here".


      On this night, Lou Cheng controlled himself as usual and he just held Yan and talked into her ear before falling asleep. Yan Zheke, however, was quite clear-headed and enjoyed this intimate moment.


      In the early morning, Lou Cheng woke up on time only to find himself in the place of Yan's body pillow. Yan was holding him tight with one of her legs draped across his body.


      It took Lou Cheng a whole three minutes to make up his mind to get out of bed. Yan's skin and sweet smell were incredibly tempting. Gently, he removed her leg and carefully escaped the lovely trap. Moving quietly, he tried to not wake her up.


      Nevertheless, Yan Zheke still woke up due to the loss of her warm pillow. She blinked slowly at Lou Cheng, wearing an expression of slight disappointment.


      As the sunlight fell on Yan's body through the curtain, she looked like a beauty from a vintage or classic photograph.


      Lou Cheng memorized this moment as he bowed his head to kiss Yan Zheke on her lips.


      As a sweet scent greeted Lou Cheng, Yan Zheke's tender tongue slipped into his mouth and he knew she wanted him badly.


      They kissed for a while and then Yan pulled back. She looked up at Lou Cheng with her dreamy eyes as she said,


      "Work harder to be a better fighter and make more money to support our family!"


      "Huh..." Lou Cheng laughed and kissed her forehead as he said, "Ok".


      He changed his clothes and left. While walking through the empty corridor, he recalled everything that had just happened and could not keep from laughing.


      "Make more money to support our family... " he muttered to himself with a broad smile on his face. He quickened his steps as if he were about to step from the darkness and embrace his bright future.


      ...


      Two days had passed, and on the third day at 7 PM, the martial arts arena of Capital city was once again overcrowded with people. The quarter finals were about to begin, and first two matches in the upper section were to be held today.


      Lou Cheng and his teammates had arrived by bus and they ran into the fighters of Capital College, including Ren Li and Chen Diguo.


      They remained silent, greeting each other from a distance.


      "Every time I see Ren Li, I find her to be incredible for she is too cute to be a fighter..." Yan Zheke sighed.


      Ren Li was a girl with big eyes and straight hair, her features were delicate and soft.


      "You can't judge people by their appearance. The more beautiful, the more dangerous. I recall some kind of beautiful jellyfish that is extremely venomous," Lou Cheng blurted out without thinking


      After he had hardly finished speaking, he sensed a trace of derision in Little Ming's eye, so he whispered in Yan Zheke's ear, saying, "My fairy is the exception!"


      However, Yan Zheke didn't buy it, and he had to give an excuse. "Anyway, I am a fighter with Sixth Pin, but you are the one who makes decisions for us. Therefore, you are way better than me."


      He emphasized the phrase "for us".


      Yan Zheke gave a snort, but a slow smile crept between her brows. She stopped quibbling over such issues and said, "The substitutes for the Capital team are good, even better than Shanbei's."


      "That's right. If it were not for Peng Leyun, the Capital would have taken the championship at least once in the last two years."


      Ren Li and Peng Leyun were called the Heavenly Sons in the Martial Arts Club of Capital College. The senior student, Chen Diguo, was a fighter with Seventh Pin. A sophomore, Jiang Kongchan, was about to enter the Dan stage next year, while a junior, Shen You, was expected to carry on Chen Diguo's lead and be the second leading player, but he had a terrible accident that caused his brain and left eye to be damaged. So far he had not fully recovered and had not made any progress within his level. Nonetheless, he remained as a top fighter with certificates though. Hence they had no choice but to put the rest of their hopes on the club manager, Ren Li, who was always busy with club matters and unreliable at the same time.


      Besides, another senior student, Jiang Jinfeng, was a fighter with Eighth Pin who entered the Dan stage.


      While talking to each other, the team members of Song Cheng entered the locker room and began to get ready for the coming match.


      According to the draw, the first match was Songcheng VS Jinfeng!


      Jinfeng made into the national competition as the first in their division but was at a disadvantage to Hudong. Jinfeng's leading fighter, Wei Rong, was a fighter that had barely reached Seventh Pin, and another fighter, a junior student, Gao Shengli, was an Eighth Pin fighter and he practiced Iron Cloth, so he was indeed a good fighter. Liu Chunlai was another leading fighter with a top certificate. Unfortunately, the fighters of Jinfeng were no match for Yu Zhi or Han Peipei.


      Geezer Shi looked around and said,


      "Lin Que, take a rest this round."


      "Huh?" Lou Cheng and his teammates had no clue what the coach was talking about.


      Although Jinfeng was not a strong competitor, there was no need to take such a risk. What if, as the saying goes, they shot themselves in the foot?


      Before Lin Que could voice his objection, Geezer Shi added,


      "We will have some tougher matches to fight later. You take a good rest this round and get ready to meet the Capital. As for Jinfeng, Lou beat three fighters from Hudong, so there will be nothing to worry about. If Lou loses, you can square the whole account with him."


      "Well, there were tougher matches to fight and fatigue will be accumulated, but the thing is, I have been practicing the Swordsman formula, and it's the formula that can ease and restore my brother-in-law, Lin Que, in no time!" Lou Cheng pondered.


      Of course, his master must've known that.


      Therefore, was he throwing out a smoke screen by saying that?


      If Lin Que took a rest this round and fought the Capital next, Shanbei could estimate that he would not be at his best in the final. But that may not be true.


      Currently, they were not even in the game with the Capital, and their master had already masterminded a scheme for the final.


      As Lou Cheng vaguely comprehended his master's intention, he shot a glance at Yan Zheke. She seemed lost in thought, while Lin Que remained silent the whole time.


      Geezer Shi seemed pleased and said,


      "Jinfeng has never thought to beat us, so they'll put their leading fighters in the field, as many as possible, and so will we. Lou will be the last, Cai Zongming the first, and Li Mao the second."


      "Me?" Little Ming pointed to himself, astonished and amused.




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     391 Sincere and Honest Little Ming
      Overjoyed at the question, Geezer Shi could only nod his head and say,


      "It'll be a good experience."


      "Okay!" Classmate Little Ming replied, tears almost streaming down his face.


      After waiting for this long, was he finally going to have the chance to open up a tournament by himself?


      Furthermore, according to Geezer Shi's opinion, Jinfeng was arranged in order from weakest to strongest. If he used a verbal attack first to throw them off their guard, it was possible that he could easily defeat the Ninth Pin Liu Chunlai. If he was able to strike down this first opponent, it'd be praiseworthy, and even more so if he could end up facing Fang Yuan!


      Beside him, Lou Cheng saw that Yan Zheke looked a bit defeated. He secretly pulled her hand and quietly said,


      "This just means that you'll have to prepare all of your strength for Capital!"


      When they face Capital, simply relying on him or his brother-in-law wouldn't suffice. Every team member that went out into the arena would have to stretch themselves to the limit, and only then could they hope for victory!


      Amongst all of the substitutes, his own Ke was the strongest!


      "I hope so... " Yan Zheke replied meekly, longing for the semifinals and also envying Cai Zongming and Li Mao, who were about to ascend onto the arena.


      ...


      Inside Jinfeng University Martial Arts Club's locker room.


      Rubbing his blonde hair between his fingers, Wei Rong looked in the eyes of Coach Zheng Fei. Seeing that he didn't have any expression, he nervously patted a section of the bench's surface, minding his own business along with Gao Shengli, Liu Chunlai, and the others.


      "Our hearts aren't really in this competition. Hehe, I know myself, and I'm the same. Any experienced person could figure out Lou Cheng and Lin Que's behavior."


      "Now that it's come to this, we can't sit here and expect a miracle to happen. We need to honestly and frankly plan out our little objective."


      Gao Shengli's skin was dark; it seemed as if his entire being was made of metal. After hearing Wei Rong speech, he replied with suspicion, "What little objective?"



      At this moment, with something of a scholarly air, Zheng Fei chuckled and said, "Songcheng University will probably let their other substitutes come out first and fight to do some physical training and accumulate real battle experience. Afterwards, it'll be Lou Cheng to settle it once and for all in one fell swoop. They won't let Lin Que come out, since he needs to conserve his strength for the match against Capital."


      "Then our objective is not to allow Lou Cheng to defeat all three of us?" Gao Shengli asked again,


      "Not allowing Lou Cheng to defeat the three of us, is it really that simple?" Liu Chunlai artfully retorted. "If we don't lose to Songcheng University's substitutes, Lou Cheng will have to defeat all of us."


      Taking this logic into consideration, there wasn't any kind of fault in it!


      Wei Rong breathed in and rolled his eyes as he looked at Liu Chunlai. Then he stood up.


      "I hope the three of us can defeat Lou Cheng in a war of attrition. While this is a distant hope, it's not as if there's no chance of it happening. Lou Cheng still has to consider the semi-finals, so he's not going to go all out. If we do our best, there's a chance we can defeat him!"


      "Shengli, you go out first and defeat Songcheng University's substitute quickly. This way, Lou Cheng won't have as much time to keep up his peak battle strength, and they'll have to substitute one injured player for another. It'll be a blow to his conservative mindset."


      "Alright!" Gao Shengli said resolutely.


      Wei Rong pointed to himself. "I'll go out second and wear Lou Cheng out some more. Chun, you'll take up the rear, and hopefully we'll be victorious."


      "No problem." Liu Chunlai unexpectedly appeared to have no pressure.


      After determining who would go out in which order, Jin Feng lined up and proceeded out of the locker room doors, heading towards their seats. They still had not been seated when they heard an explosive clamor all around them, rolling over them like an imminent tide.


      When the Songcheng University group came out of the locker room... Wei Rong and Gao Shengli looked at themselves and the others, becoming aware at the same moment. It was a feeling like they'd been unfairly mismatched. When they had come out, there was some meek clapping and the occasional toot of vuvuzelas!


      After a short pause, they could see who the leading player was in the list of names that Songcheng University had submitted, but they hadn't thought that Lin Que would be this name!


      "Isn't this a bit too much, to look down on us like this?" Veins popped out of Wei Rong's forehead, and he couldn't keep his voice from rising.


      Songcheng University had unexpectedly allowed their second leading player to come out?


      Did this mean the confident Lou Cheng felt that if one man guarded the pass, ten thousand would be unable to get through?


      Yes, he was quite impressive. He had quickly ascended through the ranks, and his luck was side by side with Peng Leyun's. He surely was hoping that he would smash through their troops, but it also wasn't 100% guaranteed!


      This was far too dismissive of them!


      Who does he think we are, pushovers?


      A feeling of scorn and being looked down upon rose up in the hearts of every Jinfeng University Martial Arts Club member. As they looked at one another, Wei Rong waved at the judge and said to Gao Shengli,


      "Are you going to stand for this?"


      Jinfeng City was a Guanwai League location, and the martial arts atmosphere was quite heavy over there. All of the people over there had an attitude that one may lose the battle, but not the war!


      "No!" Gao Shengli gnashed his teeth in response.


      "Then go fight! Go settle this as quickly as possible!" Wei Rong clenched his fist tightly and waved.


      Gao Shengli had formed his Iron Cloth around himself. It was more suitable for bullying the weak and puny, and turned him into something akin to a sharp spear.


      ...


      At the Song Cheng University Martial Arts Club seats, after Li Xiaowen had conveyed to them the order in which Jinfeng would fight, Cai Zongming's mouth was gaping open. Feeling puzzled for a moment, he subconsciously turned his head, looked towards Geezer Shi, and said,


      "Didn't you say that Jinfeng would come out from weakest to strongest?"


      Hadn't they agreed that it would be the Ninth Pin Liu Chunlai?


      Hadn't they agreed that it would be an awe-inspiring victory for him?


      Recalling the Jinfeng videos that he'd seen as well as the gorilla-like figure of Gao Shengli, Classmate Little Ming couldn't stop trembling. It was as if he'd gone back to that time when he'd faced the ex-club manager, Chen Changhua, who also had a history of behaving like a terrifying ape...


      Geezer Shi's eyelids didn't lift even the slightest as he said,


      "It seems I spoke carelessly."


      Even when Fighting Jinfeng, he still wouldn't use a serious analysis?!


      Lou Cheng restrained a smile, patted Talker on the shoulder, and with a look of accepting one's fate on his face he said,


      "You should get out there, the judge is indicating for you to come out."


      Cai Zongming directed his eyes towards the arena and blurted out, "How should I fight this?"


      "Take advantage of the talking time," Lou Cheng honestly advised.


      "So lean on the verbal attack to confuse him, and then seize an opportunity?" Little Ming asked while in the midst of thought.


      "No, what I mean is that you should take advantage of the talking time to clear your head, and if you can say a few things during that time then it'd be convenient too, wouldn't it?" Lou Cheng chuckled.


      When talking to someone like Talker, the more you comforted them, the more useless it was. Limiting it to these two sentences was for the best!


      Cai Zongming looked as if he was a terminally ill patient taking advice from a doctor telling him to eat better. His heart was frozen, but he carried no burden, and he glared at Lou Cheng as he said,


      "I, Cai Ritian, will be victorious!"


      "Not bad, this kind of attitude is very good," Lou Cheng complimented.


      Cai Zongming extended his right hand, gave everyone a high five one by one, and finally slapped Lou Cheng's shoulder. Like an ancient general heading into battle, he walked towards the stone steps.


      After ascending the arena and arriving in the middle, he saw Gao Shengli with a furious anger in his eyes. Thoughts whirled in his head, and he pondered his plan.


      The judge waited for the electric clock to arrive at the proper time and then raised his hand, waved it, and said,


      "Begin the talking time."


      While "weakly" directing his eyes towards his hands, Cai Zongming sincerely said,


      "We're not looking down at Jinfeng, it's just that we're taking risks to progress to the finals."


      Eh?... Gao Shengli had never come across someone who had used the talking time to explain the situation like this. He was temporarily dumbfounded and didn't know how to respond.


      Cai Zongming continued,


      "Capital is very intense, so we need to continue to put together all of our strength and extract all of our hidden potential. Only then can we hope to succeed. Lin Que doesn't seem to have the abnormal strength of Lou Cheng. By resting for a day, he can once again be fit as a tiger, so we have to let him rest this round. That way, we can go to Capital in our most peak condition."


      There was truth to his words... Gao Shengli thought carefully, and unexpectedly couldn't help but nod his head slightly.


      Cai Zongming continued honestly, "We know allowing Lin Que to rest will make the outcome of this match uncertain, but for the sake of beating Capital, this is our only option. All we can do is taking the risk; it's really not that we're looking down on you all... "


      When he got to this point, he laughed bitterly. "It's actually that we're walking a bit of a tightrope."


      Seeing how honestly and extremely courteously he was speaking, and how he was ridiculing their own choices, Gao Shengli's fury was extinguished slightly. Still being careful not to be completely enraptured by his opponent's words, he nodded his head and said,


      "If it were us, I reckon we'd do the same. In any case, Lou Cheng has enough strength to go through all of us."


      Upon hearing this, Cai Zongming laughed, and with a certain kind of bitter sweetness at not having met this man earlier said, "And furthermore, this can serve as an opportunity for us substitutes, to allow us to gain true experience and find out what it's like to graduate from a weak battle to a stronger one. To experience the Dan Stage's Iron Cloth is remarkable. If we were to take Lin Que and put him in my place, would it not be a bit of a waste of this opportunity?"


      This guy was really something to listen to... Gao Shengli's heart softened, and while looking in Cai Zongming's eyes, he slowly became more good-natured. He modestly said, "It's no greater than other moves at this stage, like Golden Bell Cover, Vajra Body Defending Divine Skill, Immortal Flesh, Forging Jade Spell, and others like that."


      "As far as I'm concerned, they're all the same. After all, they're all in the name of defense." Cai Zongming had taken the opportunity to take the talking time period and make it just an idle chat, making Gao Shengli's mood more and more lighthearted.


      At the last minute, he purposely glanced left and right, and said in a low voice,


      "Actually, our coach has put me out here just to polish and refine me. Why he'd choose me instead of other substitutes... hmm... have you seen my profile and previous fighting videos before?"


      "I've gone through your profile. I've only seen two videos," Gao Shengli replied bluntly.


      "Last February, I formally joined the special training team. Before then, it'd all work in fits and starts. I'd trained in Kung Fu for a few years, but had only achieved Amateur Fifth Pin." Cai Zongming feigned a sound of sobbing. "After doing special training for a few months, I went from a Fifth Pin to a Ninth Pin. Now, have a look at my Qi and Blood, it's about as strong as a Ninth Pin, am I right?"


      "Yes. You've done this training for a year and two months?" Gao Shengli was a bit astonished. When he looked at his profile, he only paid attention to what level he was currently at and hadn't closely followed his previous backstory too closely.


      This kid had some skill... was it really just that the coach had assigned him to come out here for some polishing?


      "Yep, so I've got a bit of skill." Cai Zongming laughed. "This is why our coach thinks highly of me... "


      He directed his eyes towards the electronic clock, coughed twice, and said, "The other reason is... "


      While Gao Shengli had focused his attention towards hearing the answer, the judge unexpectedly raised his right hand, and suddenly threw it down.


      "Begin!"


      The talking time was over!


      What was the other reason? That he had a supernatural ability? That he had an innate skill for battle? When the fight began, Gao Shengli was unable to keep his imagination from roaming.


      By this point, Cai Zongming had already closed his mouth and straightened his back. His feet were like arrow strings and they shot out, half pouncing and half taking a step forward, arriving in front of his opponent.


      Bang!


      Cai Zongming's shoulder twisted and his right fist shot out. His five fingers spread out, heading straight for Gao Shengli's eyes.


      The Iron Cloth may be impressive, but it still had a few weak spots!


      At the same time, he pressed together his backbone and stuck out his right foot, stomping between his opponent's two feet.


      He was laying a foundation for a strike!


      Just then, Gao Shengli finally came to his senses and understood what Cai Zongming had purposely been doing before. He'd made him absent-minded, thus creating a golden opportunity for a sneak attack.


      All of his previous courtesy, honesty, and respect, it'd all been an act. It was all to make him drop his guard!


      In an explosion, Gao Shengli's heart soared into a raging blaze of fury that came from the feeling that he'd just been cheated, that he'd trusted him with his goodwill, and that his intelligence had been insulted!


      He made me become his friend! I thought he was a good, honest person!


      Gao Shengli twisted his waist and thigh so that it blocked his opponents kick, and aimed his forehead towards his adversary's oncoming fingers.


      Bam!


      Cai Zongming's kick landed on his opponent's bulging thigh. It was if he'd kicked an iron panel. His five fingers that had previously been like bow strings suddenly became soft and changed from grab to press. After being pushed away by Gao Shengli's forehead, he bounced back and quickly withdrew his entire body.


      Fury consumed Gao Shengli, and all he could think of was his Qi and Blood and his exploding Dan strength. He braced both of his legs, and with the sound of snapping beneath his feet, ferociously leapt towards his opponent.


      Cai Zongming had seen this and already straightened his back, forcing him to change direction, narrowly avoiding his opponent's pounce. Of course, this was all due to how he'd taken advantage of his enemy beforehand.


      While he was atop the arena, his thoughts were quite clear. To prevail against an Iron Cloth Eight Pin Dan Stage fighter was nearly impossible, so his goal was to consume him, to consume the larger part of his energy!


      In order to achieve this goal, he needed to provoke him and not give him any time to calm down!


      He had succeeded by depending on the talking time period.


      It just so happens that I'm quite good at this!


      Come on, hit me! Classmate Little Ming's cunning thoughts flashed through his mind.




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     392 What The Hell Was I Doing Just Now?
      Pop!


      Cai Zongming avoided his pounce, but Gao Shengli had already bounced back and twisted his body around. He pinched his waist, shook his fist, and struck out with a force that could seemingly move mountains.


      Although rage was flowing through his mind, his basic knowledge remained, so he proceeded with Double Explosion. If it was anything less than the crucial point, he wouldn't do this move!


      Cai Zongming barely changed his direction and it felt like a strong wind was blowing. There was no time to dodge. His thigh muscles, calves, and stomach suddenly twisted into strands. His two feet pinched together and bore into the ground with drill-like strength.


      Snap! The ground sunk in as his legs stuck out, and Cai Zongming's lower back tightened up. His right arm suddenly rose up and fiercely struck out with an explosive power towards his opponent, as if to split him in two.


      Mountain-moving Punch!


      This was a widely known fighting technique that combined Firm, Urgent, Sudden, and Ferocious. Geezer Shi had first taught this technique to Guo Qing in accordance with her disposition and power. It was a shame that after Guo Qing had grasped the technique, her strength still couldn't compare with the others, even though it had transformed and progressed quickly. After she was attacked by another new Martial Arts Club member, she became discouraged and her hopes had been shattered. As a result, she'd chosen to withdraw from the special training group.


      She'd backed out, but this technique had been studied by many people before. Due to it being a part of the 24 Blizzard Strikes, by grasping it you could grasp the others as well as they were not too different. You were bound to find new ways to make up for deficiencies that you had in other areas.


      Bang!


      As the two skilled opponents' fists collided in mid-air, it created a great echo. In the end, Cai Zongming's state fell a bit short and it was if he'd collided with a mountain. His arm shot back and his feet fell back a step.


      He had no choice but to do this; otherwise, his stance would be immediately broken!


      Crack! He sunk down, and cracks extended like a spider web.


      He'd done well by retreating! Gao Shengli screamed furiously in his mind. He was unable to seize an opportunity. His right foot sunk down as he leaned his body and aggressively relied on the past, creating a slipstream.



      When confronting this, Cai Zongming didn't have the slipperiness of his former days. He knew that when facing a colossal mountain such as this, he had to summon his courage and be fearless. He could not retreat, but instead had to move forward!


      His right foot that had just reached the ground trod on. His ankles trembled and bent forward. His muscles stretched tautly and he propelled his body onward, launching himself forward.


      Bang!


      At such a short distance, the two bodies collided together, shoulder to shoulder, arm to arm.


      "Come on!" Gao Shengli roared, his muscles bulging like freshly melded iron as Cai Zongming collided and staggered back in retreat.


      Compared to my strength, you've still got a ways to go!


      Slam slam slam! Although Cai Zongming was falling back, he was not feeling or allowing the attacks to cancel out his strength. His retreat was not disorderly, but rather extremely methodical!


      Gao Shengli had succeeded in the collision, so he immediately performed a sliding step to continuously attack the enemy. Taking advantage of his weakness would be his savior!


      Cai Zongming fell back two steps. When he noticed his opponent attempting to gain the advantage, his heart tightened and, unable to deal with anything else, he bent backwards and withdrew his arm, doing a backwards flip.


      Bang! Bang!


      While flipping backwards, his two feet lifted up in succession, and from the bottom to the top, kicked up towards the space between his enemy's legs.


      Gao Shengli had been too rash and didn't have enough time to change direction. He could only stop and lean as he felt a strong gale brush against his crotch. He nervously recomposed his stance and drew closer to his opponent.


      During Cai Zongming's descent to the ground during his flip, his body had already shot out horizontally, narrowingly avoiding the chain of attacks and once again creating distance between them.


      In this kind of hand to hand fighting, Gao Shengli had many other and better choices, but the more furious he became and the faster he tried to win, the less likely he was to actually do so!


      Having just avoided another attack, Classmate Little Ming hadn't forgotten himself, and although he was quite busy at the moment, he twisted the corner of his mouth, revealing a deep sneer as he smiled.


      There is no medicine for stupidity!


      Have I really duped him?


      Seeing Cai Zongming smile from the corner of his eye, Gao Shengli attempted to constrain his anger as he exploded outwards. His mind buzzed and all he could see was red.


      I've never met someone so capable of provoking others!


      Bang! There was a crisp and clear smashing sound as Gao Shengli compressed his Qi and released it. Both of his thighs momentarily bulged, and it was if his entire body had created a strong wind, landing in front of his opponent with a whooshing sound.


      During this split second, Cai Zongming had done a sliding step and gotten out of the way of the front.


      Bang! Gao Shengli again performed Force Concentration as his Qi and Blood exploded. His left leg bulged and he violently kicked to the side!


      Double Explosion!


      He now only had one thought in his mind:


      Feel free to ridicule me. If I can't finish you within a few moves, then I'll consider myself the loser!


      Gao Shengli's side kick was fierce and quick. Cai Zongming was powerless to avoid it. He hurriedly sunk down, shook both of his arms frantically and moved them both towards the front of his stomach.


      Bang!


      The Dan Stage fighter released his kick with a wild, barbaric velocity. Cai Zongming's stance was immediately broken and his body flew backwards.


      Stomp stomp stomp! Not waiting for him to land, Gao Shengli rushed forward a few steps, shook his shoulder, and threw out his left fist, grasping towards his shoulder. He pulled him towards him, bending his elbow upwards.


      Just then, the judge extended his palm, pressing it against his elbow joint and forcing the two people apart. Afterwards, he raised his left hand and proclaimed with a clear yell.


      "Round one, Gao Shengli wins!"


      Upon hearing these words, Gao Shengli first felt a burst of happiness, and felt that he'd regained his honor. He hadn't used too many moves and he'd been able to defeat this unctuous individual, but after sobering up for a moment, he suddenly felt that this wasn't correct. With his Iron Cloth resistance and offensive abilities and his Dan Stage superiority, there shouldn't have been a need to use Force Concentration, and it all had been because he so greatly desired to defeat his opponent!


      Not only did I use the Dan Stage explosion, but I even used Double Explosion!


      I... what the hell was I doing just now?


      Watching his expression change, Cai Zongming felt much better. Even though he might not have accomplished an awe-inspiring feat, his intelligence and verbal abilities were nothing to sneeze at. In some respects it could be considered a victory.


      He blew out a breath of air and inwardly hummed a song to himself as he turned around and left the arena.


      At that moment, standing in front of him, Gao Shengli's lips trembled, and he suddenly blurted out,


      "What on earth was the second reason?"


      This had been bothering him all along, and he urgently wanted to know the answer. Regardless of whether his opponent had cheated him or not, there had to be an explanation. Otherwise, it was like a bad ending to a novel or TV show that left you on the edge of your seat without any answers.


      Cai Zongming was startled upon hearing this, and with his eyes twinkling, he chuckled and said,


      "It's a secret."


      Personal secret, no comment!


      Gao Shengli's eyes widened. If it weren't for the judge right there, he would have thrown himself at him and come to blows again!


      Hahaha... Cai Zongming snickered and went down the stairs with an air of superiority, heading back to the Song Cheng University Martial Arts Club seating place.


      When he saw this, Li Mao stood up with excitement in his eyes. There was no trace of nervousness because now they had Lou Cheng to provide firm and solid support for them.


      All of a sudden, Geezer Shi leaned his head forward and laughed slightly as he added a few words.


      "When you go on stage, you can walk a bit slower."


      Walk a bit slower? Shouldn't he get on stage as quickly as possible so as to not give Gao Shengli more time to recover? Li Mao responded in bewilderment, "But... why?!"


      "It's my idea, doesn't matter if you understand or not." Geezer Shi flaunted.


      Umm... Li Mao furrowed his brow. Forgetting to bump fists with Lou Cheng and the others, he subconsciously proceeded according to the coach's instructions, slowing down his pace.


      Meeting with Cai Zongming at the halfway point, he extended his right hand and, trying to control his doubt, he asked full of curiosity,


      "What did you say just then? How could Gao Shengli be that angry?"


      Pow! He and Classmate Little Ming high fived each other.


      "Hehe, I can't do it justice in just two or three sentences, I'll tell you later," Cai Zongming said, full of pride and not showing any trace of dejection at having been defeated. "Brother Li Mao, you'd better get up there. He's pretty depressed due to what I said, and there's still quite a bit of anger remaining."


      "Alright." Li Mao had just responded when he again recalled Geezer Shi's command. This and Cai Zongming's suggestions were the complete opposite.


      Umm... would walking slower just give Gao Shengli time to calm down?


      If he waited for him to no longer be angry and give him free time. wouldn't he be able to reflect on what had just happened?


      After reflecting, wouldn't he be able to learn from the painful experience and subconsciously choose to fight oppositely?


      This was definitely possible! When ordinary people encountered this kind of experience, they'll most likely be like this and choose to move in the opposite direction!


      Once bitten, twice shy, and what's more, what if it was a couple minutes after?


      In other words, Gao Shengli would most likely be cautious and conservative, and in his waiting he wouldn't again use Force Concentration.


      This will be my chance!


      With his heart and mind clear, Li Mao looked towards Gao Shengli standing in the center of the arena and once again slowed down his pace.


      In the course of waiting, Gao Shengli controlled his breathing and stewed with deep frustration over what had originally occurred.


      Should he not "conservatively" deal with Cai Zongming and Li Mao and save the larger part of his energy for Lou Cheng?


      He had already used more than half of his Dan Stage power on a nameless fighter!


      In this vagueness, it was if he could see Brother Wei's disappointed eyes and hear Liu Chunlai's private jabs. His heart had a burst of sadness and he decided that starting with the second round, he'd make up for it!


      I can easily win against a Ninth Pin if I use the Iron Cloth!


      ...


      Cai Zongming returned to the seating placements with a look of pride on his face, and looking at Lou Cheng, he said,


      "I found out that it doesn't take much to make Gao Shengli explode!"


      Quick! Quick, ask me how I made him so furious!


      Lou Cheng barely acknowledged him. He only snickered and said,


      "What I think, it's because you stooped so low, to the point where you could say you belong to those that possess negative supernatural abilities. Mmm, a devil will always want to destroy an angel. Ah, do you know I've been working harder? It's all through hard effort, and eventually you can work to control your mystical powers."


      Cai Zongming looked at him askance and laughed full of good humor.


      "Next time, during a special fight, we'll have some cross talk."




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     393 Suspense
      While ascending onto the arena step by step, Li Mao had decided how he would take on Gao Shengli as a top-level Ninth Pin fighter with brute force who had been practicing the Iron Cloth. He wouldn't consider using Force Concentration unless it was a critical moment. It wasn't very likely that he'd waste his Dan Stage explosive powers again.


      His heart calm and his gait steady, Li Mao gained more and more confidence as he walked up and faced Gao Shengli, to the point where he even entertained the fact that he could perhaps win the fight!


      No fighter would like to taste the bitter taste of defeat!


      The judge looked around, then slowly raised his right hand and waved it down light as a feather.


      "Begin!"


      Li Mao suddenly straightened his back. He adopted the Avalanche pose with his body and powerfully and violently pounced towards Gao Shengli, not in the least bit aware of his weaknesses as a fighter.


      Not bad! Gao Shengli said inwardly. Not dodging or evading, he forged ahead and his body unfurled. The contours of his muscles seemed almost as if they were forged out of black iron!


      Ever since I had made achievements in the Iron Cloth, I favored close and body-to-body fighting. Under these circumstances, so long as the opposition doesn't have any simplified physical invulnerability, I could defeat even a Seventh Pin!


      Bang! Just as he was approaching, Li Mao paused and twisted his waist. His pulled back his right arm and threw out his fist, making a beeline for the bridge of his opponent's nose.


      The Iron Cloth was impressive, but his head had become a problem. After all, the iron didn't extend to his head!


      Seeing the situation, Gao Shengli threw out his shoulder and withdrew his left arm, putting it in front of his face without pausing his movement in the slightest. It was as if he was a soldier bravely facing a cannon blast. Urgently depending on a sliding step, he threw out a whip kick. Both of them were attacking one another, both of them were risking it all!


      Li Mao's backbone undulated, and he spread out his left fist's strength, pulling it back and dodging to the side.


      In a battle where Iron Cloth was involved, the most important point was to be patient. One couldn't be rash in order to avoid falling into a trap and making it a free for all. You had to wait until a true opportunity presented itself, and then you had to do your best to seize that opportunity!



      Bang bang bang! Crash crash crash! Li Mao unceasingly changed directions towards Gao Shengli's eyes, ears, nose, mouth, temples, throat, eyes, and other places that he felt he could harm through attacks. His fists whizzed by and his legs were like whips, but as long as his opponent resisted and launched counter attacks or pinched his waist and twisted his thighs, the places he insisted on harming were safe. He was promptly withdrawing his body and not greedily attacking. He was not advancing prematurely and was not getting in a snag.


      The fight continued in this way for a while. Playing it safe, the conservative Gao Shengli's strength slowly but surely deteriorated, but throughout the entire fight, he couldn't find an opportunity to grasp his opponent.


      Li Mao's exhaustion also began to accumulate, but he remained as calm as before. Amidst the entanglement, he observed his opponent and noticed that Gao Shengli's fists and legs seemed to have a bit of a feeling of impatience to them, and his eyes suddenly sharpened.


      If it continued like this, his opponent would once again be unable to control himself from using Force Concentration!


      He had to seize this point in time now, not before and not after!


      Bang!


      His right fist shook and went towards his opponent's temple as quick as lightning.


      Gao Shengli lifted his left arm to brace himself and at the same time strode over using his right foot to attack, aggressively throwing out his other arm like a whip.


      Just then, the previously prepared Li Mao's right arm struck out, and he twisted his waist. Taking advantage of the moment, he leaned his body forward and, by using the sliding step, he slid behind his opponent.


      His entire body straight, his two arms struck out with a snap and his palms cracked in opposite directions at his enemy's temples. "Strike opponent's ears with both fists"!


      Gao Shengli was not nervous nor rushed. His left foot suddenly went back, and stomped on top of Li Mao's foot. At the same time, his mind contracted and his body went to the side. His right arm bent upwards and the tip of his elbow violently slammed back.


      Bang!


      A powerful and distinct sound resounded all around!


      In these circumstances, Li Mao had unexpectedly not retreated, but rather had changed his strike that was amined at opponent's ears with both fists into Downward Cut with Fist, pursuing his opponent's focused the mind!


      Following this chopping attack, his waist rebounded and he abandoned the stance. His entire body flew horizontally through the air, narrowly avoiding Gao Shengli's rear kick and causing his attack to merely scrape the side of his ribs.


      Bang! Li Mao's ribs were sore and sweat dripped down his forehead. When he had struck both fists down to attack his opponent's head, he had lost the greater part of his strength.


      Fortunately, he had prepared earlier. Bearing the pain, he shot out all ten fingers towards his opponent's eye sockets to grab and pluck them out!


      Gao Shengli's line of sight was suddenly entirely occupied by Li Mao's fingers. His heart tightened. Unless he used Force Concentration, he'd be unable to cancel out this attack!


      The judge saw the situation and hurriedly rushed over, and using his right hand with lightning speed, pushed Li Mao's shoulder slightly, moving him horizontally in order to avoid the disaster of causing Gao Shengli to go blind.


      He then lifted his other hand and said,


      "Round Three, Li Mao wins!"


      Agh, agh! Gao Shengli gasped twice. It was unbelievable that he had suddenly lost. He still could do two more Dan Stage strikes!


      Li Mao covered his right rib. It was hard to conceal his happiness.


      He'd unexpectedly won against an Eighth Pin Dan Stage fighter!


      Even though it had been at the cost of an injury, even though it was because Cai Zongming had previously made him use up most of his energy, this was still an extraordinary event!


      Gao Shengli's face flushed red with scorching pain. Seeing reality clearly, he did not wish to remain there and he turned to stomp towards the edge of the arena. He went down the steps and proceeded to rush towards the Jinfeng University Martial Arts Club seating area.


      On the way there, when he saw the dyed blond hair of club manager Wei Rong, he lowered his head in shame. His lips trembled and he didn't know what to say.


      Wei Rong was furious, and he was bitter that Gao Shengli had not lived up to his expectations, but finally he sighed and said,


      "This is how it is. We're unable to win."


      He agreed with Liu Chunlai that they simply had no hope of defeating Lou Cheng. There was no other way...


      Forget it, today's fight could be considered an experience for his pride. Afterwards, they wouldn't necessarily have the same opportunity...


      He was on the verge of leaving the University Martial Arts Circle and entering professional competitions. It was quite clear that he had almost no hope of entering the Inhuman stage. Afterwards, he would likely undeservedly drift amongst districts in the north and south, punching his way through individual fights. His income would be generous and his position wouldn't be bad, but his pride wouldn't be the same as a result of today. Unless he had good luck, he wouldn't come into contact with things such as "Warrior Sage", "The King", or other title match selections.


      In the arena, the pain in Li Mao's right rib intensified and he didn't dare try to go another round. Without waiting for the other opponent to enter the ring, he turned and headed towards the stone steps, strolling back.


      "Third round, Wei Rong wins." the judge calmly proclaimed, announcing the result of a fight that had never begun.


      Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke bumped fists and welcomed Li Mao, asking full of concern,


      "Are you okay?"


      Li Mao inhaled a breath of cold air, and with not a little bit of pain, he smiled and answered,


      "I'm alright, it's most likely just a little fracture."


      A fracture and he could still say "It's alright"? Lou Cheng was dumbstruck, then shook his head and said, "Brother Li Mao, you don't need to be this tough! Anyway, even if Gao Shengli had beaten you, he'd also have used up all of his strength and wouldn't have had any influence towards me."


      Li Mao lowered his head, laughed, and said,


      "Everyone who's a Martial Arts Club member, they always see how tough you and Lin Que are, so I can't let it show that this injury is affecting me. If I do, I'll feel very... very ashamed, very embarrassed.


      "So if I get an opportunity in the arena, I hope I can get a victory so as to be worthy of the name of a Song Cheng University Martial Arts Club substitute... "


      After saying this, in order not to arouse too much sympathy, he laughed and said,


      "Anyway, I probably won't be in the rotation in the next round against, so let me show off a little bit here.


      "Only in this way can I feel that I'm a member of the Martial Arts Club and feel that I'm on the same team as you guys…


      "If in the end I can acclaim that supreme honor, at least there's something that I can say I've done, and that I've made at least a significant contribution!"


      Lou Cheng sighed gloomily. He repeated himself and bumped fists with Li Mao and said,


      "You fought well. I thought you wouldn't be able to win."


      "Hehe, ah… " Being complimented by him in such a genuine way, Li Mao was unable to keep from smiling even though his pain had graduated from normal to something sharper.


      Crossing over to Li Mao, Lou Cheng's heart suddenly felt full of warmth, and he headed to the arena slowly and unhurriedly.


      ...


      In the live broadcast, the guest presenter, Chen Sansheng, smiled at the host, Liu Chang.


      "Next up, all there is is suspense."


      "There's still suspense? What?" Liu Chang expressed his disbelief.


      "It's just how long will it take for Lou Cheng to mow through them all." Chen Sansheng chuckled.


      "I reckon it won't be too long. For the two matches, it won't go over a minute. No, I estimate it won't be more than 30 seconds!" Liu Chang guessed with a smile on his face.


      Chen Sansheng nodded his head. "That's what I'm thinking as well. Lou Cheng's methods are so plentiful, and he can directly catch up to Peng Leyun and Ren Li."


      ...


      Facing the arena and seeing his dyed blonde hair, Lou Cheng could see that Wei Rong had stood up a long time ago. It seemed as if he was recoiling somewhat, and he didn't have much will to fight, as if he didn't have any desire to win at all.


      He doesn't have enough energy... Snickering to himself, Lou Cheng's mind schemed as he walked in front of Wei Rong and began adjusting his spirit and his body's condition.


      He arrived at the spot in advance, and after half closing his eyes, the judge lackadaisically directed his eyes towards the both of them, raised his hand, and waved it down.


      "Begin!"


      His voice still hadn't faded when Lou Cheng suddenly opened his eyes. His pupils contracted and his body's power broke out!


      Suddenly, Wei Rong's eyes seemed to brighten, as if he'd seen the clouds break over and reveal a brilliant, snow white cover atop a towering and majestic mountain peak.


      At that very moment, Lou Cheng's body and mind were as tall as a mountain peak, astonishingly powerful!


      In a split second, he condensed his spirit and unexpectedly was baffled.


      Seizing the opportunity, Lou Cheng lifted up both hands, moving towards his prize, and he stately and serenely called out,


      "Army!"




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     394 On Such Short Notice
      "Army!"


      His deep and low voice echoed in Wei Rong's ear. It made him feel like he was fighting in a fierce war, surrounded by violent enemies. The atmosphere became so heavy that Wei Rong felt as if one of his enemies had put a sharp knife against his neck and the ferocious power was about to penetrate his body. It gave him goosebumps.


      Just as he was wavering and had lost all his spirit, Lou Cheng reverberated and condensed his qi, blood, and spirit. Then he exploded.


      CRACK!


      He rushed about seven meters forward and came to stand face to face in front of Wei Rong. He raised his arm and made a downward cut with his fist while visualizing a scene of tidal waves rolling. The waves froze, including the ones that seemed to contain immense power.


      POP!


      With the Thunder Cloud Roaring in his mind, Lou Cheng struck out a movement, Severe Warning!


      At this point, Wei Rong had barely recovered from his fear and anxiety. He saw a fist coming towards him. Covered in a chilly white and blue-black mist, it grew as it approached him, gradually occupying his sight and the whole world in front of him.


      "Not good!" He had no time to dodge and it was too late for him to do the Dan Stage explosion. All he could do was pull the fascia to raise his arms quickly and cross them above his head.


      BANG!


      Wei Rong suddenly felt a flow of cold force exerted into his arms. It froze his mind instantly and he passed out.


      When he finally recovered from the temporary shock and was able to see other colors, the first thoughts to come into his mind were "Crap", "I need to escape now", and so on. However, he found that Lou Cheng had already taken a step back and was standing with his hands crossed behind him. He was looking calmly at the referee.


      The referee raised his right hand to announce the result.


      "Round four: Lou Cheng wins!"


      "Lost? I've already lost?" Even Wei Rong knew clearly that there was no hope for him to win against Lou Cheng. However, he had never thought that he would be defeated at the very beginning of the match. It was what they called a second-kill.



      This was a defeat that he had never experienced. Even back when he was a Professional Ninth Pin fighter and needed to fight with an Eighth Pin fighter, he had never encountered such a situation!


      He blushed at his poor performance. He felt so embarrassed that he wanted to find a hole to hide in.


      This match, it's just like bullying an elementary school kid, and I' m that kid...


      I haven't even had time to perform and I've lost!


      In the broadcast studio, Liu Chang was momentarily shocked. Then he let out a smile and glanced over at Chen Sansheng. He said,


      "How many seconds did it take?"


      "Well, if we don't count the time that Lou Cheng took a step back and when the referee announced the result... Not more than three seconds..." Chen Sansheng tried to hold back his laughter.


      He had predicted that Lou Cheng would have a quick victory, but he had never expected that he would defeat his opponent within such a short time span. Especially when his opponent was a weak Seventh Pin!


      If this was a match for life and death, Lou Cheng could have killed his opponent in two or three seconds!


      Filled with emotion, Liu Chang sighed before asking, "Well, to be honest, Wei Rong is strong enough to trade more than ten blows with Lou Cheng. How did he lose the match in mere seconds?"


      Chen Sansheng thought for a while, then answered him in a deep tone,


      "This was a problem of mentality. Let us put it this way. After the first round, Gao Shengli and Wei Rong had probably already lost all hope.


      "They probably didn't harbor much hope to begin with. In such a condition, even though they couldn't release their full strength, they would still be able to withstand pressure. Probably like normal. Then, when they realized that Songcheng University didn't have any intention of letting Lin Que fight - not seeing his name in the list of competitors, Jingfeng most likely felt angry. Like they had been slighted. They wanted to take the gamble. To gamble, they would need the first fighter, Gao Shengli, to quickly take down Cai Zongming and Li Mao so that they could retain three fighters to battle against Lou Cheng. Only like this would they have had a glimmer of hope to win."


      "Well, in the end, Gao Shengli was infuriated by Cai Zongming and beat him down at all costs with several movements. I'm not an expert on lip reading, so I have no idea what Cai Zongming said during the first round. Even though he made a quick victory, his consumption was way more than what he estimated. So, in the second round, relying on his Iron Cloth, he still held hope to save stamina to fight with Lou Cheng. He didn't want to perform Force Concentration easily. But he was confronted with Li Mao, who was never afraid of getting injuries and tried his best to fight with him. Under such conditions and within such a short distance, Gao Shengli had no time to play Absolute Reaction.


      "In this match, Gao Shengli not only underestimated his opponent, he also became too conservative. We can use one idiom for everything that he has done today - fighting in a dilemma. He failed to play out all of his strengths."


      Liu Chang gave considerable thought to his words. He said, "Is mentality a significant factor in martial arts competitions?"


      "Yes, of course. Why else would we have the conversation time? Some fighters are good at creating a nervous fighting atmosphere and dealing with the mind. They could easily make their opponents feel angry, depressed, or frightened. As a result, their opponents would fail to play all their strengths out. Someone wrote about 'defeating your opponent with tricks' in 'The Art of War.' There is also an antithetical couplet that reads: 'One who is good at dealing with the mind can solve his own weaknesses.'" Chen Sansheng boasted his knowledge with a grin. "Gao Shengli was infuriated in the first round, so he made a mistake. Then he continued to make more mistakes, which made him fight in a dilemma in the second round and lose his calmness. Even though he lost this match, he actually had some stamina in the end, enough for him to win against another Professional Ninth Pin fighter."


      Liu Chang thought for several seconds. He was confused. "I'm not surprised that Gao Shengli lost the match. It's clear that he had difficulty when he was fighting in the second round. He made some mistakes and failed to perform all his strengths. But how does it relate to Wei Rong? When he found that Gao Shengli had lost the match, did he still hold any hope? In such a situation, he would enjoy the match with his positive mentality. But why did he become so negative?"


      At some point, everyone made mistakes and failed to play as well as they could, including fighters of Dan stage. When they had mental problems or when they felt exhausted, they would experience similar things. This was also why top Professional Ninth Pin fighters would choose to go all out when they were fighting in the Warrior Sage Challenge Tournament.


      "It would be an exaggeration to say that Wei Rong lost his calmness, but he definitely didn't enjoy the match..." Chen Sansheng continued to say, "It's better for people to have no hope from the beginning to the end. Once they have hope, they will be disappointed when their hope is ruined. So they'd rather escape from the hopeless situation as soon as possible, or they'll feel frightened instead of fighting with all of their strength. What's more, I've told you before that fighters of Dan stage always use Will to control their Spirit and connect it with their body. It turns out that Will can also reflect their own momentum. The more powerful the fighters are, the stronger their Will and their momentum will be."


      "Is this the reason why there is a confrontation of momentum?" Liu Chang was familiar with this kind of common sense about Dan stage.


      "Yes, it is. This effect won't be so obvious if you are only a fighter of Professional Seventh or Eighth Pin. But when you become a Sixth Pin fighter, your momentum will be strong enough to affect your opponent's Spirit. Do you still remember the previous match between Lou Cheng and Zhang Chaoyang? Because of this effect, I said that these two fighters performed with the same strong momentum in that match. Also, this effect is one of the uses of the conversation time." Chen Sansheng explained to him in detail, "When you are fighting with such a Mighty One, once you have a mental ailment, he'll absolutely take this opportunity to use his momentum and suppress your Spirit directly."


      Liu Chang nodded slightly and said, "No wonder people talk about the impact of psychological shadow. Even normal people would be influenced. So if a fighter is suppressed by another fighter's momentum, the result will be very obvious."


      "Wei Rong experienced what I've said just now. Because of his flinch and his negative mood, he was easily caught by Lou Cheng. He was then suppressed by Lou Cheng's momentum and lost his normal state. Then he was attacked by the Bing Formula. His opponent moved to his side using the Dan stage explosion and controlled him with the simplified physical invulnerability of the Ice Sect. With these continuous attacks, he had nothing else to do but to be beaten down by his opponent." Chen Sansheng took a glance at the replay and ended his commentary just on time.


      …


      In the Jinfeng University Martial Arts Club, seeing that the club president, Wei Rong, had lost the match within several seconds, Liu Chunlai's brows jumped a little. He turned to his coach, Zheng Fei, and asked in an embarrassed tone,


      "Can I throw in the white flag now?"


      He felt a bloodthirsty glare from Gao Shengli.


      "Haha, I'm just joking. One can only be regarded as a true man, a true fighter, once he has lost in the ring. If he gives up without even trying, he must be cowardly. No balls, a eunuch," Liu Chunlai said with a wry smile. He walked toward the stone stages. One inexplicable phrase flashed across his mind:


      "Bring your opponent down in seconds!"


      He passed Wei Rong, who was rushing back to the team with embarrassment, and stood in the arena. His heart and mind were at peace. All he could think about was how long he could stay in the arena. Every second counted.


      "Only if I can keep fighting for 100 seconds can I be regarded as a true man!" Sometimes his jokes included himself.


      The referee lifted his right arm like a machine and announced,


      "Start! "


      Just as the referee said the magic word, Liu Chunlai started to make his move. He copied Piao Yuan's stance from a match a few days prior. He lowered his waist and back and shifted his weight to his feet. He sprinted towards the right like a rabbit that had been shot by an arrow.


      Even if a fighter had mastered the best body refining, he or she would still leave some traces or signs of their upcoming moves. Since Lou Cheng had mastered the Ice Mirror, he could sense the change in the muscles and fascia of his opponent's hands. After accumulating so much experience, he could be considered an expert in this matter. Before Liu Chunlai even took a step, with just a look, he had already predicted the move accurately. He took half a step forward and arched his body a little. He then threw out his left arm in a hook and shot a freezing light beam towards his opponent's right.


      POOM!


      In an odd-sounding explosion, Liu Chunlai, who was rushing to the right side, was hit directly by a beam of cold white light. Ice Burning! The surface of his body was covered in a layer of glittery frost!


      Lou Cheng moved toward the "ice sculpture" with large steps.


      Liu Chunlai trembled and struggled to escape from the ice-bound state. He saw Lou Cheng smiling. Then he heard the referee's announcement,


      "Round five: Lou Cheng wins!"


      "The final result: Songcheng University Martial Arts Club wins!"


      The whole arena cheered and trumpets sounded. For some strange reason, some of the audience members started to take pity on the Jinfeng University Martial Arts Club.


      "I only took a sip of water!" Yan Zheke crinkled her nose and pursed her lips. She shook her thermos cup to greet Lou Cheng, who looked at her from the ring. She kept smiling because she was so proud.


      …


      In the live broadcast, the guest presenter, Chen Sansheng, smiled and chided Lou Cheng in a joking manner.


      "Lou Cheng is spoiling the market for everyone! If everyone fights like him, how will we sell the tickets and rights for martial arts in the future!?"


      How will the TV stations profit from the advertisements?


      "Haha. How many seconds did he take this time?" Liu Chang laughed.


      "Eh, less than two seconds... " Chen Sansheng decided not to continue this embarrassing topic, so he said, "First of all, let's congratulate Songcheng University for advancing to the final round. There will be some tough matches waiting for them."


      A moment later, Lou Cheng and the other members went back to the locker room. Except for Li Mao, who had gone to the emergency ward to deal with his injuries. He was accompanied by Cai Zongming and was warned not to do any vigorous exercise for the next two weeks.


      They watched the match between Capital and Guoyang University in the locker room. Ren Li had not yet gained much strength because she had only fought with one weak opponent, one whom Chen Diguo and Jiang Jingfeng had forgotten to defeat. With this, it was difficult for Lou Cheng to estimate her level.


      — Kongtong School was famous for setting up the Wind Sect and had part of the Plague Sect.


      …


      After the dust had settled, the commenter, Liu Chang, did a closing.


      "In this match, both Chen Diguo and Jiang Jingfeng of Capital played in a conservative way. They chose to get down in the ring when they felt tired, saving their stamina well.


      "The other two quarter-finals have also ended. If there are no unexpected events, Songcheng University will win against Capital in the semi-finals.


      "Let's look forward to this match!


      "Let's look forward to the match between Lou Cheng and Ren Li. Both of them are favored fighters of the age!"




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     395 The Great War Is Coming
      In the Song Cheng University Martial Arts Club locker room.


      After watching the match between Capital and Guoyang University, Geezer Shi clapped his hands to attract the members' attention. He coughed a little and said, "You don't need to go out for a midnight snack to celebrate that we made the final four tonight. You should go to bed early and do your exercises as usual. In three days, the semi-finals will start."


      Speaking of this, he laughed,


      "I know that you guys are not tired at all. I only want to warn you to stay focused and serious. You need to stop being so mellow, because this time you are going to fight with Capital."


      Hearing what Geezer Shi said, Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke looked at each other and both of them realized that the great war was coming. They felt nervous but excited.


      "Yes, Sir (coach)!" All the members answered him in unison and began to think about the upcoming night.


      This match would determine whether they could win the championship or whether they would need to accumulate their energy so as to try next time!


      …


      On the way back to their hotel, they changed their discussion from "how to defeat Jinfeng University easily" to how to deal with the match with Capital College Martial Arts Club. All of them talked with excitement, so the atmosphere on the bus became very animated.


      When they were about to reach the hotel, Yan Zheke suddenly covered her mouth and let out a chuckle as she thought of Ren Li's Kung Fu. Lou Cheng looked at her in surprise.


      "What's wrong?"


      Why did she think Ren Li's Kung Fu was so funny?


      "I was just thinking about something funny that happened," Yan Zheke answered him in a slight tone. Then she jumped off the bus and stood at the entrance of the hotel.


      "Like what?" Lou Cheng smiled and watched her every movement. He walked behind her at a steady pace.


      This attracted Cai Zongming's attention. He whispered to Li Mao, "Look at Cheng, how can he smile like thiat? Damn, even I can see the sweet love in his smile!"


      With envy, Li Mao, who was still single, said, "I want to have a girlfriend to whom I can give a sweet smile to. Ay, Talker, you have no reason to complain. You behave the same way in front of your girlfriend!"



      "No, actually, in front of my girlfriend, I need to smile humbly..." Cai Zongming said with his hands outstretched. "Normal people like you will never understand my aesthetics and my special tastes."


      At that moment, Yan Zheke looked up and said with a sweet smile, "Isn't Kongtong School famous for having the Wind Sect as its basis and owning part of the Plague Sect?"


      "Yes," Lou Cheng confirmed.


      "But they only own part of the Plague Sect and lack the most important thing. The forefathers of Kongtong School tried to mix it together with the Wind Sect and create new moves. They used the killer move Road to Death, one of the Plague Sects' physical invulnerability moves, to create many strange moves." Yan Zheke shared these funny stories with Lou Cheng while walking into the hotel hall, holding his hand.


      "How strange are they?" Lou Cheng asked with interest.


      "Well, for example, some forefathers of Kongtong School who mastered these strange moves have been given several interesting nicknames, such as 'Humanoid Biochemical Weapon', 'Walking Gas Bomb', 'International Convention Ban', 'Physical Invulnerability of Mass Destruction'..." As Yan Zheke was saying these names, she wanted to laugh. "It seemed that our country will make an official and solemn announcement that we will never use Kongtong School's fighters of physical invulnerability."


      Lou Cheng was shocked by what she said. After a long time, he said, "This is quite horrible... Fortunately, Ren Li has not reached the inhuman level. Even though she had the chance to learn these strange moves, she still hasn't mastered them yet."


      Yan Zheke pursed her lips and smiled with her beautiful dimples. "Little boy, you don't need to worry about this. Because these strange moves contain strong murderous characteristics, the fighters who've mastered these could easily hurt innocent people. Kongtong School is strict with the teaching of these moves and only allows the direct descendants, disciples, and elders who have passed through many experiments and have a good character to practice them. So these moves are barely seen, even in top matches. Or I would have said 'those nicknames are horrible' rather than 'they are funny'."


      "They rarely appear in the top matches, no wonder I don't know them ..." Lou Cheng suddenly understood.


      Talking and laughing together, they entered the elevator and came to the floor where they lived.


      BEEP! Yan Zheke swiped her room card to open the door. Just as she was about to close the door, she suddenly turned and looked at Lou Cheng through the gap with her bright eyes and sweet smile.


      "Do you want to watch the Capital videos with me tonight?"


      Lou Cheng's blood boiled when he received such an invitation. He was so excited that he wanted to open the door and hold his fairy in his arms and kiss her with passion. However, he recalled his master's warning and recalled the coming of the great war. He was a little hesitant because he still needed to stay focused, keep calm, and make full preparations.


      While stuck in his temporary hesitation, he saw a knowing look in Yan Zheke's eyes. Then she said in a happy tone,


      "It seems that you don't want to. Forget it."


      Before she finished her words, she closed the door as quickly as she could because she had prepared a lot for this moment. She was so proud of what she had done.


      At that moment, Lou Cheng suddenly realized she had been tricking him. She was very sure that Lou Cheng would consider the match with Capital and his master's warning because of his strong character, although he would certainly hesitate. Which meant that from the very beginning, she had never planned to let Lou Cheng come in her room!


      "You actually know how to turn me on! You can even trick me now!" Lou Cheng took out his phone and sent her this message with an exclamation point to express his surprise.


      "Hey..." Yan Zheke responded him quickly and continued to say, "I only dare to turn you on when you are unable to do sexual things to me~"


      ...


      "Who told you this? Who said 'don't you want to kiss me?' in front of the door?" Lou Cheng ridiculed her.


      He had understood a fact for a long time. It was not enough for you to blindly please the girls or say sweet things when you were getting along with them. You needed to make fun of them or tease them from time to time to increase intimacy.


      "Forget it! I never said that!" Yan Zheke replied to him, annoyed.


      I took so much courage to take the initiative and flirt with you once. How dare you laugh at me! Hmmm, I won't do anything intimate with you in the future!


      Lou Cheng had achieved his goal, so he changed the topic. "Can you guess what I am thinking now?"


      Yan Zheke sent him the "rolling eyes" emoji and said, "You are thinking that if I dare to flirt with you next time, you won't hesitate? Well, there will be no next time!"


      "No." Lou Cheng snickered. "I am thinking about whether should I break in and how much I would have to pay the hotel for the broken door!"


      Never mind the door, even the wall cannot stop me!


      Yan Zheke replied to him with burning anger. "Go home and sleep right now!"


      "Well, okay." After they flirted with each other for a while longer, Lou Cheng returned to his room. He took a bath and lied on the bed. While chatting with Yan Zheke, he also started looking through the news on the forum, websites, and Weibo. Occasionally, he needed to reply to Talker or Fatty Jiang's messages.


      At this moment, the official lottery website of Weibo announced the latest odds regarding the semi-final between Capital and Songcheng University:


      Capital, 1-1.3 (including principal). Songcheng University, 1-1.5 (including principal).


      The odds were quite close. However, Capital's odds of winning were slightly lower than Songcheng University's, which indicated that the public thought there was more of a possibility they would win.


      "It looks fairly reasonable ..." Lou Cheng looked through and then began to read the game analysis and predictions from famous martial arts commentators.


      Three Gentlemen of Chen said,


      "Lin Que is stronger than Chen Diguo, but Yan Zheke is clearly weaker than Jiang Jingfeng and Jiang Kongchan. So the final result to a large extent will be determined by Lou Cheng and Ren Li. If Lou Cheng can defeat Ren Li and consume some of Chen Diguo's stamina, Lin Que can save more stamina to fight with Jiang Jingfeng or Jiang Kongchan. So even though he would still lose, he could consume his opponent's stamina as much as possible so that Yan Zheke could have more hope to win the match. After all, both Jiang Jingfeng and Jiang Kongchan are only fighters of Eighth Pin and have no supernatural abilities."


      "If Ren Li wins, she will consume Lin Que's stamina in advance. Under this condition, when he confronts Chen Diguo of normal Professional Ninth Pin later, he will probably be defeated if he makes a careless mistake. Even though he could win the match, he would feel exhausted and have little stamina left to fight with Jiang Jingfeng and Jiang Kongchan. They could then save more stamina to fight with Yan Zheke. The result will be very obvious if their mentality stays normal and they can perform as well as usual."


      "So, Lou Cheng or Ren Li? Who will win the match? Lou Cheng has become a really powerful fighter at the top of Professional Sixth Pin, while Ren Li hasn't shown her current strength yet. But we are sure that she is in the level of top Sixth Pin, maybe she has even almost reached Inhuman now. "


      "There seems to be no difference between their strengths from this perspective. But another aspect is that Ren Li knows Lou Cheng very well, while Lou Cheng isn't familiar with Ren Li's abilities. I think that Ren Li will win by a narrow margin and Capital will advance in the final round!"


      All-knowing Man in Ganghood wrote a short sentence:


      "The odds: Ren Li has a 60% possibility of winning, while Lou Cheng has 40%. Capital wins!"


      Superstitous Belief is Bad posted the same thing:


      "The bench fighters of Songcheng University are too weak to beat members of Capital?"


      "Yes, his cursing words sound all right ..." Lou Cheng laughed and was about to look through the comments about this on Weibo when Yan Zheke sent him a link to an interview. "Watch it now. It's an interview with Ren Li after the match!"


      "Eh ..." Lou Cheng clicked to open it and began to watch carefully.


      On the screen, Ren Li wore a cute haircut and stood in front of the reporters like a doll. She was of medium height.


      "Today I will ask you three questions, but none of them are about the match," said the reporter who was obviously familiar with Ren Li.


      "Okay." Ren Li nodded slightly.


      "First of all, everyone is really curious about why you chose to enter the university instead of obeying what Kongtong School had arranged for you and participated in the professional competitions step by step since you are not like Peng Leyun, who was obsessed with physics." The reporter questioned her with great interest.


      Ren Li opened her mouth slightly and looked up while saying,


      "My parents are university professors. If I don't get a bachelor's degree, I would feel like I'm illiterate and have a gap with them. In addition, the more knowledge I have, the more martial arts I can comprehend by analogy."


      "Oh, it turns that you were born into an intellectual family," the reporter praised her. "The second question: I heard that you always behave with confusion in your daily life, especially that you are extremely terrible with directions."


      Ren Li unconsciously pouted and answered him with a slightly aggrieved tone,


      "They always say that I'm often in the state of 'Who am I?', 'Where am I?', and 'What am I doing?' But I think that one person's energy is limited, so he can only concentrate on two or three things in his whole life. As for other aspects, just let them go... "


      "Haha, why, I sense a helpless feeling in your words." The reporter laughed. "The third question is: what do you think of the match between you and Lou Cheng? Who will achieve victory?"


      "From the perspective of strength, it's hard to tell. Both of us can win. So the person who can fight better on the spot will win," Ren Li replied honestly.


      The reporter shook her head and said, "No, you are wrong. You have not exposed your killing move in this national competition. You have some advantages in this aspect!"


      Ren Li looked at her helplessly as if saying, "Don't expose my secret."


      There were many comments on the video sliding across the screen. All of them were to the effect of, "Wow, so cute", "She is so cute", "Ren Li, I will always support you", "I support you in beating Lou Cheng!


      While watching the video, Lou Cheng felt angry but amused. He was looking forward to the next semi-final more and more.


      Of course, before this match, there was one more thing for him to do. He had to watch the match between Peng Leyun and Ann Chaoyang so he could learn Peng Leyun's current strengths!




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     396 Time Is Up
      At 7:56 PM, April 20th.


      Peng Leyun had defeated Ann Chaoyang three times in three years. He showed that he was only half a step away from the Inhuman Stage. He then defeated Piao Yuan even in his exhausted state in the following match. He'd created a miracle defeating two powerful opponents by himself in such tough matches!


      Once Xu Wannian defeated Xing Jingjing using his Corvine Mouth, Huahai had to bid farewell to the national game. This was their worst rank in five years. Also, Ann Chaoyang, who was once the champion, now had to leave the ring.


      As this once powerful fighter left dimly, the audience could only see a lonely figure who had been beaten by Lou Cheng.


      The result of the match was decided by one's strength and power, not his passion or glorious past.


      …


      At 9:07 AM, April 21st


      A news website released an interview with Huahai University Martial Arts Club. Piao Yuan and Ann Chaoyang described the characteristics of the simplified version of physical invulnerability in detail in this interview and suspected it to be the Internal Explosion Fist of the Fire Sect.


      Everyone was shocked by this news because they had never expected that Lou Cheng, as a direct descendant of the Ice God Sect, had also inherited the Fire Sect. Some people began to wonder if he had an intimate relationship with Longhu Club.


      In the fans forum, Brahman was so excited and elated that she updated her photos. Her lovely and cute appearance attracted a lot of attention from strange old men.


      In the Longhu Club forum, the moderator Pig-Riding Knight and active posters like Above the Sky and A Plumber Eating Mushrooms were seriously discussing the possibility of Lou Cheng joining their club in the future. They even tried to give him a better nickname, which made Lou Cheng feel embarrassed. He was silently watching their conversations in the forum. But he could not think of any satisfactory nickname that could lead the trend either.


      …


      At 3:30 PM, April 21st.


      Because there was a rumor that Lou Cheng had a relationship with the Dragon King, the odds set by the lottery company changed again. Capital's odds increased, while Songcheng University's odds decreased, so there was almost no difference between them.



      After the many professional gamblers studied the odds carefully, they bet on one team in the end in all kinds of lottery shops. In addition, even those who normally didn't gamble bet on this match, either in the shops or online, because they wanted to have fun.


      …


      At 7:11 PM, April 22nd.


      There were many spectators from all directions waiting in line in front of the Capital martial arts building entrance.


      With a bag of popcorn in hand and eating a roast sausage, Ding Yixin looked around and said to Qiu Hailin and Du Yiyin excitedly, "It's really crowded here!"


      After the semi-final match list was confirmed, Capital College Martial Arts Club had gotten part of the rights to sell tickets because they were the local team. The students of their university and their supporters were able to come to the arena and cheer for them. Because Qiu Hailin knew some students working for the student union, her roommates were able to get tickets.


      "I'm considering..." Du Yiyin was influenced by the enthusiasm of the cheering crowds who were singing and dancing around her.


      "What are you considering?" Qiu Hailin asked blankly, her bright forehead exposed in the air.


      "As a girl who is obsessed with handsome boys, will Yixin support our school martial arts club or will she support Lou Cheng?" Du Yiyin looked at Ding Yixin, who was eating her food cutely, with a smile.


      Ding Yixin heard what she said and stood stunned for a moment. Then she swallowed her sausage and said,


      "I will join you in cheering for our Martial Arts Club, but in my heart, I still look forward to Lou Cheng's victory. I devote my body to our university but my heart to him!"


      "Why do these words sound so familiar ..." Qiu Hailin thought it sounded funny but was puzzled as she tried to place where she had heard them.


      Just then, they saw a group of boys wearing plaid shirts pass by holding a banner and shouting loudly,


      "Ren Li! Ren Li!"


      In such a lively and noisy atmosphere, everyone seemed to shout like this, half-jokingly and half-solemn.


      …


      At 7:23 PM, April 22nd.


      All the light and cameras had been set up and the broadcast was ready to start.


      "Welcome everyone at home to the two semi-finals of the University Martial Arts Competition. The first two competing parties are Songcheng University and Capital. Then Shanbei is going to fight with Guangnan." The host, Liu Chang, said with a professional smile, "Tonight, our old friend, Chen Sansheng, will join me to comment and narrate the matches."


      "Thank you, everyone. Thank you, Liu Chang." Chen Sansheng clasped his hands and shook his head with a smile.


      After a brief greeting, the scene moved to the arena. The audience could clearly see that the stands had gradually filled up.


      Capital's supporters were well organized and occupied one side of the stands. Some of them held banners and cartoons, some of them played trumpets, others sang happily. Everything ignited the spectators' enthusiasm. Other audience members had scattered around them and sat in fragments. Some of them wore Songcheng University's black and white martial arts suit. There also were some people holding the cartoon characters of Lou Cheng, Lin Que, and Yan Zheke.


       ...


      …


      At 7:29 PM, April 22nd.


      Yan Xiaoling got up and sat in front of her desk. She opened her computer and took out her snacks. As she was reading through the forum and chatting with Brahman, Unparalleled Dragon King, and other people, she was also reading Chen Sansheng and Liu Chang's comments. She closed the live comments function on purpose.


      Mu Jinniane, who was sitting behind her, fingered her Buddhism beads and prayed for her university's club.


      ...


      At 7:35 PM, April 22nd.


      In the Song Cheng University Martial Arts Club locker room, Geezer Shi clapped his hands to wake the resting fighters. He coughed and said,


      "Today, let's stop considering how Capital will arrange their team and formation. We should try our best to challenge them with our strongest state!"


      "Lou Cheng, Lin Que, and Yan Zheke. That's the playing order today, from strong to weak just like a ferocious striking spear. You need to let all of your energy out to fight with them one by one till the last minute!"


      "If Capital doesn't choose Ren Li as their first player, then Lou Cheng, you need to beat Chen Diguo or the other fighters as soon as possible so that you can seize the opportunities. If the first fighter actually is Ren Li, then you don't need any other instructions, right?"


      "Don't think about saving energy for the finals. Don't worry about the problems of fatigue or injuries. If you lose this match, all these things will be useless!"


      "Do you understand?"


      Lou Cheng, Lin Que, and Yan Zheke took a breath and then replied in unison,


      "Yes, I understand. "


      …


      At 7:36 PM, April 22nd.


      In the Capital College Martial Arts Club locker room, Shen You, who was a part-time coach, looked around with glassy eyes and said with a smile,


      "Do you still remember what happened after the finals last year?"


      Capital had been defeated by Shanbei by just a slim margin in last year's finals, so they had failed to win the championship.


      All the members recalled the sad but touching scene last year, including the leading players from last year's finals, Chen Diguo and Jiang Jingfeng, and the bench fighters, like Jiang Kongchan. They recalled the scene of all of them holding hands and shouting "We will win the championship next year" together.


      "Of course I remember! How could I forget it? This year we are going to take the championship!" Chen Diguo shook his fist. "After the finals, I want to stand in front of Peng Leyun and show off my victory. Then I'll share my favorite sentence in a novel with him arrogantly, 'Pain is my friend, please allow me to introduce it to you!'"


      Shen You smiled and nodded. He then stood up and said,


      "It's so fortunate that all of you remember this. Our goal is to win the championship. Going forward, we will encounter more opponents, so there should be no slacking or contempt!"


      "We have walked for a year and finally reached it again. We can no longer just 'walk' like we used to. We need to sprint! Sprint!"


      "Sprint!" Chen Diguo, Jiang Kongchan, and the other members suddenly felt their invincible will aroused. Ren Li also became very focused and joined them in shouting.


      …


      At 7:40 PM, April 22nd.


      In the locker rooms of these two clubs.


      Lou Cheng and the other members came together in a circle again. Each person had their left arm on the shoulder of the person next to them, with their right hands in the center, piled up one on top of another.


      Ren Li, Chen Diguo, and Jiang Kong took out of their fists and pounded fists with each other in the air.


      "We'll win!" the members of Songcheng University cried out powerfully.


      "Sprint!" All the leading players and the bench fighters of Capital College Martial Arts Club shouted in unison and bumped fists.


      CLANG!


      The locker room door flew open on both sides at the same time. The rolling sounds and the shining of bright lights from the outside world came into the room.


      …


      At 7:41 PM, April 22nd.


      As the referee set his foot in the ring, the broadcaster shouted in his hoarse voice,


      "Capital College Martial Arts Club's playing order is: Ren Li, Chen Diguo, Jiang Kongchan!"


      Surrounded by an outbreak of cheering, he continued to announce,


      "Song Cheng University Martial Arts Club's playing order is: Lou Cheng, Lin Que, Yan Zheke!"


      Even before he finished his words, the whole audience began to scream and cheer.


      Needless to say, everyone was very clear about what the first match was.


      …


      At 7:45 PM, April 22nd.


      The semi-final of Capital College Martial Arts Club against Songcheng University Martial Arts Club had officially started.


      First round, Ren Li VS. Lou Cheng!




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     397 Wind-like Movemen
      In the martial arts arena of Capital city, a dazzling light shone above the arena. The atmosphere here was also very lively, which made everyone in the arena feel excited. Cheng experienced such huge excitement that he could not help but tremble.


      Lou Cheng saw the referee waving his hands to both sides to gather players and that the hand on the clock had turned to 43. He slowly stood up and took off his thin coat. He then looked at his girlfriend and wondered how she would cheer for him this time.


      Yan Zheke also stood and clenched her fists. She shook her fists slightly and shouted in a tender but firm voice,


      "Lou Cheng! Lou Cheng! Lou Cheng, come on!"


      Hearing the familiar voice, tone, and words, Lou Cheng suddenly felt like he was living in a dream. It was as if he was going back to the past. He was so touched and excited. He cherished all the happy and sad moments they had experienced together this year.


      This is the first cheer I've received, in my very first Challenge Tournament!


      He had not expected that he would be able to participate in the semi-finals of the National University Martial Arts Games. He hadn't expected to fight with Ren Li, a favored fighter, on such a great stage in the second semester of his sophomore year either.


      It had taken him a year and seven months to get here. Whether he could advance to the finals or not depended on this match!


      "I will try my best!" Lou Cheng replied to her with the same words that he had said back then, but he added an action, stretching his fist and bumping it with hers.


      During his free time, he sometimes read through old chats with Yan Zheke. Sometimes he even exported them and saved backups.


      Yan Zheke seemed to recall the scene and the dialogue. She smiled at him.


      Other members who stood next to them, like Li Mao, Sun Jian, and Cai Zongming, were confused by their cheering style. They thought it did not fit into their dating style. Usually, the couple showed off their romantic relationship in public. Shouldn't they be more and more intimate as time went on?


      "When we were fighting with Huahai, although we did not look back at you, we still clearly knew that you guys had done something intimate behind us!" they thought.



      Why was this couple behaving so innocently and normal now?


      Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke were aware of their confusion. They once again looked at each other and gave a shared smile. They had a secret that belonged only to them.


      Lou Cheng said nothing and bumped his fist with Lin Que, Cai Zongming, and the other members one by one. Hearing the cheering of his club members, he turned around and walked toward the stone stairs of the arena. A large screen could be seen above.


      He became more and more confident with every step he took forward, because of his past memories. The faster and firmer he walked, the more buoyant his momentum was.


      Lou Cheng entered the ring and saw Ren Li. She was wearing an elegant haircut. His momentum was like a snow peak piercing into the clouds and standing in the chilly north wind, steady and cool, steep and holy. The audience kowtowed him in worship.


      Ren Li stood rootless and invisible, like the wind which sometimes snuck into the night, silently hidden; sometimes vigorous and sharp, blowing people's faces like a knife; and other times swept through everywhere as if doomsday was coming!


      The most magnificent part of her momentum was that her will hid in the wind. It was so erratic and ethereal that Lou Cheng was unable to target it. When confronting her, he could only perform passive defense. However, of course, it was hard for a hurricane to shake the snow peak.


      "The Wind Sect really is a little bit mysterious..." Lou Cheng praised her martial arts in his heart and stood in a position which was on the side of the referee but kept a distance of eight to ten meters from Ren Li.


      In the broadcast studio, Chen Sansheng could not help but clear his throat as he said to the audience who was watching the show,


      "The match between the two favored fighters is about to start!"


      No matter whether they were in Lou Cheng's fan forum or in Ren Li's, the IDs that had been having an animated debate stopped posting new messages and began to focus on their screens. The audience in the arena also held their breaths and watched the clock move to 45 with full attention. The referee raised his right hand.


      "The talk time starts!" Because the referee was a fighter of high-ranking Dan Stage, his voice easily covered the whole arena.


      As an expert who was about to become a senior staff in the martial arts circle, he clearly knew how much attention this match had received. Not only would there be martial arts fans, elders, and disciples of the Ice God Sect and Kongtong School watching this match, but also Dragon King and Dong Baxian were said to have devoted time to watch this match in particular.


      TICK! TOCK! As the time on the clock went, Ren Li opened her big eyes suddenly and asked Lou Cheng with slight confusion and curiosity,


      "The simplified physical invulnerability that you just mastered, is it the Internal Explosion of the Fire Sect?"


      As a direct descendant of a famous martial arts school and as the last disciple of the elite master, Qi Ling, Blazing Sword, she knew that Geezer Shi had a close relationship with the military. And every fighter of physical invulnerability knew that the military also had some connections with the Longhu Club!


      This had been exposed to the public before, so Lou Cheng did not intend to hide anything. He replied frankly,


      "Yes."


      Why is she asking me this question? Is she trying to target my mentality? But she is said to be bad at this. It would be more likely for Chen Diguo to perform like this.


      Not everyone can be regarded as a Talker!


      Ren Li sighed with satisfaction and once again asked him,


      "Then the movements that you are practicing, are they Emperor Yan Force or Fire Force?"


      These two movements were the core of the Fire Sect, known as two of the most ferocious Kung Fu moves of physical invulnerability.


      Lou Cheng blushed slightly. He thought for a while but still chose not to lie or boast. He answered her honestly,


      "Zhu Rong Force..."


      If Ren Li did not believe him and began to think other things, that would be her own problem.


      What exactly is she trying to do?


      Lou Cheng wondered to himself, "Should I take this opportunity to perform like a Talker so that it will affect my opponent's mood?"


      "Oh, I see ..." Ren Li let out a smile as if she had solved a problem which had confused her for a long time. She pondered for a while and then said, "You answered two of my questions. Well, I will tell you two secrets. As a matter of fact, I have not only mastered the simplified version of the Wind Sect's physical invulnerability, but also the simplified version of the Plague Sect's physical invulnerability. What's more, the force I have mastered is Postwind Force."


      Eh... After hearing her secrets, Lou Cheng was a little dumbfounded.


      My dear student, we are in an arena competition, not playing truth or dare!


      What exactly do you think this holy stage, this talk time, is? (Quoted from Talker).


      After Ren Li finished speaking, she closed her mouth tightly. Her eyes gradually became bright and seemed to emit a spark which brought out the best of her beautiful martial arts suit, in light green and white color.


      At this moment, Lou Cheng recovered from his confusion. He was not sure whether she was telling the truth or not. He also did not know what her real intentions were.


      Is she really telling me the truth to reciprocate or is she taking the chance to mislead me so that I will separate more spirit to defend against the invisible simplified version of physical invulnerability of the Plague Sect?


      Forget it, I shouldn't think about it anymore. Anyway, even if Ren Li hadn't told me this, I would still defend against her so as not to be attacked by the powerful movements of the Plague Sect.


      He thought for a while and gradually calmed down. He focused more on the match and once again his physical state became more concentrated.


      The two fighters stood there in silence. The referee glanced at the clock and raised his right hand suddenly. He then announced loudly,


      "Start! "


      WOOSH!


      Ren Li took the initiative to move her feet to the left and then to the right. With the combination of her footwork, fascia, muscle, and force, she made a small rolling and howling whirlwind in the position she stood.


      People could see the whirlwind clearly. With a howling sound, the whirlwind, which shook people's hearts, rushed straight toward Lou Cheng, rolling up dust from the ground.


      Ren Li walked in the whirlwind. It seemed that she was going to vanish.


      "Buddha Voice!" "Cloth invulnerability!" These two terms suddenly flashed across Lou Cheng's mind. He intended to perform Bing Formula. He understood that Ren Li had made a great and incredible achievement in Wind Step, which meant that she was at the inhuman level.


      This was similar to Buddha Voice and Cloth Invulnerability. However, Qiu Lin, who Lou Cheng had confronted before, was only qualified to learn Great Thunder Cloud Voice, Great Roaring Lion Voice, and Great Wisdom Voice because he had not achieved physical invulnerability. He had only mastered Lotus Step and Thundercloud Movement. In addition, he had only learned a little of Sound of Thundercloud and never achieved the inspiring and striking effect.


      However, Ren Li had obviously reached the threshold of this movement instead of only knowing it on the surface level. If comparing her to Qiu Lin, her level was close to the top of Lotus Step and Thundercloud Movement because she was able to make the strong wind swirl to protect her and howl to deafen her opponent!


      This was not only about footwork but also a sound attack!


      The sound kept humming in Lou Cheng's ears. It made people's scalps tingle as if demons were coming soon. Lou Cheng also saw Long Juan Zhi Feng (Whirlwind) come toward his face, so he changed his moves quickly. He began to outline a new ancient formula in his mind and said with a deep voice,


      "Forwarding!"


      The Forwarding Formula could suppress any evil thing!




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     398 The Battle Between the Favored Fighters of the Age
      The Forwarding echoed in the air and Lou Cheng quickly calmed himself from the thrill and horror. The illusory heavenly devil disappeared from his head, but the small whirlwind remained in his vision.


      Protected by the strong wind surrounding her, Ren Li no longer needed to worry about being hit directly by the Burning Ice and Flame or influenced by the Army Formula. Seemingly, Lou Cheng had no other option but to dodge and wait for an opening.


      The competition of momentum continued. If he was forced to duck about from the beginning of the fight, he would feel mentally inferior, which would leave negative influences on the following bouts of the fight and might be the key to the result of this fight when it came down to the final face-off.


      An idea flashed in Lou Cheng's head. Instead of backing off or ducking about, he took half a step forward and swung his right arm to throw a punch at the howling whirlwind.


      Bam!


      The punch hit the void and the air expanded, flame blazing and rolling against the whirlwind.


      A basic use of the supernatural power of blaze, the Bursting Punch!


      The sound of the wind abruptly raised to a higher pitch and waves of flame and the whirlwind scattered, flowing in all directions. A human figure jumped out of the disintegrated wind eddy and drew a small arc to the side of Lou Cheng.


      Lou Cheng saw this coming and tightened his thighs to launch a left kick with a crispy sound.


      Ren Li felt it before getting too close. She further lowered her body and opened her right fist into a palm blade, slashing down at the bone right above Lou Cheng's ankle, launching an attack as a means of defense!


      Bang!


      Lou Cheng felt a sudden ache in his calf as if something was broken. He swung his leg backward and pulled it back subconsciously.


      Ren Li lifted her palm blade to face her left palm with a tiny gap of the thickness of a piece of A4 paper in between.


      Bam! Her back twisted, tendons and bones sounded, and force boiled. Her two palms rubbed briefly and created a wind blade thin like the wing of a cicada spinning outward.


      Following a whiz from the Absolute Reaction, Lou Cheng felt his scalp numbing and lowered his head without thinking.



      A sudden gale blew by and a tiny thread of his short hair fell down sharply.


      The 18th move of the Ice Sect, Stern Gale!


      Lou Cheng's head was lowered and his body didn't stop acting. He swung his left arm forward and shook and hooked his wrist to fire out a cold beam of light along the ground, launching an attack as a means of defense to interrupt Ren Li's combo. He also turned his body sideways and dashed out following the icy flame like a nonstop Brutal Blizzard.


      They were close enough to have a melee. After her Stern Gale, Ren Li planned to throw herself at Lou Cheng, but his Ice Burning came first. Understanding she couldn't dodge this attack, she lifted her thigh, turned her ankle, exerted strength, tightened her instep, and created a strong gust of wind.


      Poom!


      The two were separated by the blast and the cold flames within.


      Bam! Lou Cheng smashed through the white and cold blast towards his rival.


      All of a sudden, Ren Li became light like a feather and floated backward riding the strong wind created by the exploded Ice Burning and the bump along the hill. Lou Cheng's strike missed.


      She landed on her left foot and immediately shrank and released her qi and blood. The green tile was broken under her feet as she rushed out and bumped sideways.


      Between the cracks, Lou Cheng had no time to adjust his bump. He concentrated his force, stretched his body, bloated his muscles, and met force with force.


      Bang!


      The sound of the wind lowered and the two of them moved backward at the same time. They straightened their spines simultaneously to charge forward and threw a punch at each other as if they had practiced this hundreds of thousands of times.


      Lou Cheng was certain that Ren Li had mastered some martial arts style that could sense the enemy's movements, which might not be as mysterious and profound as his Ice Mirror.


      Bam! Their fists shot out from their waists and crashed into each other, one suffering a flow of scorching air and the other experiencing waves that hurt the tendons and vessels and tore the skin apart.


      The Zhu Rong Force versus the Postwind Force!


      Woo... The heavenly gale killed the flowing fire at the cost of its own force.


      The gale didn't settle. It raged on and on.


      The most distinct feature of the Postwind Force was its continuance that was longer than any other force.


      Lou Cheng had learned about it before. After his Zhu Rong Force extinguished, the cold wave within his body driven by the balance between ice and fire flooded out and completely killed the invading gale.


      One suffering a sharp pain in his muscles and tendons and the other bearing the burning sensation in her veins, they both slowed down. Lou Cheng's force was strengthened by his supernatural ability and had caused more damage in his rival. He recovered faster and bent his right leg to launch a knee kick at her lower stomach.


      Ren Li clenched her teeth, turned her body slightly, and bent her knee to confront the kick with a kick.


      Bang!


      The same look of pain was shared by Lou Cheng and Ren Li at the very same time. Joints, including knees, were usually considered the weak spots of the human body. Neither of them dared withdraw the force as they both could foresee a comminuted fracture in their legs.


      Despite the acute pain, Lou Cheng popped out his calf to throw a sidekick. Ren Li remained calm and tilted her waist to duck the kick.


      At once they each took a step back and tried to focus their force and spirit again.


      Bang! The Dan force was gushing. Ren Li turned her waist and threw a whip kick with her left leg so fast that there was almost a shadow following behind. Lou Cheng bloated his muscles and confronted the whip kick with a whip kick, exerting strength from the tip of the sheath.


      Bang!


      A dull sound. Their insteps were frozen in the air for a brief moment with white airwaves rolling around.


      Pam! Pam! Ren Li rapidly withdrew her leg, turned her body and threw seven kicks in a row in the manner of a combo of a series of explosions. Her entire body rose into the air.


      The 27th move of the Ice Sect, Whirlwind!


      Bam! Bam! Lou Cheng confronted the series of explosions with the Mega Avalanche. He couldn't absorb much strength from his rival, but he managed to catch up with her Whirlwind, keeping his body impregnable.


      Neither of them moved. Within the ring, there were shallow pits, crevices, powerful gales, and broken rocks; it was as if it had been hit by a missile.


      The Whirlwind seemed faster and faster, repeating itself in endless cycles. Lou Cheng couldn't confront it with the 24 Blizzard Strikes much longer. After the eighth explosion, he abruptly visualized thunder clouds shaking and shuddering, tightened his insteps, calves, and thighs, and threw a Thunder Zen.


      His performance of the Thunder Roar Zen had improved dramatically in the past several months.


      Poom!


      Their legs met in the air and a violent vibration traveled up along Ren Li's leg, shaking her qi and blood and muscles.


      The vibration interrupted her Force Concentration. She couldn't complete the Nonuple Explosion, but her whirlwind still forced Lou Cheng to shake and move backward.


      Once his foot touched the ground, Lou Cheng lifted up both hands, formed a seal, and stately called out,


      "Army!"


      Many bouts into the fight, Lou Cheng finally got an opportunity to use the Army Formula.


      The wind sound became intense as a brutal stream of air flew out. Ren Li felt as if she was on the battlefield in front of hundreds of horsemen armed with metal helmets and chain mail who suddenly dropped their masks, lifted their spears, and bent their bodies.


      Next, they pressed their legs and charged forth with their spears pointing forward, ever triumphant and victorious!


      Thump! Thump! Thump!


      The ground was shaking and the chill was invading. Any inexperienced fighter would feel terrified, including Ren Li. However, her determination and spirit were formless, like a puff of wind. Under pressure or irritation, they would disperse and then gather together. The expression in her eyes recovered quickly.


      Lou Cheng had no idea how long his mediocre Army Formula could affect Ren Li, a direct disciple of a great sect master. He had performed it to take the initiative.


      As his voice echoed in the air, he exerted strength from his back left foot and threw his entire body out, visualizing a heavy and scorching red Great Sun.


      Lou Cheng had learned from his fight with Ann Chaoyang and decided to perform the Internal Explosion of the simplified physical invulnerability of the Fire Sect!


      Once the red Great Sun appeared, hot currents in Lou Cheng's body shrank at once as if pulled by gravity and then gathered and became one.


      The scene in Lou Cheng's head changed and the half-man half-beast Zhu Rong emerged on a red dragon, keeping the fire buff calmer and under control.


      Lou Cheng strode forth and swung his arm, launching a right punch at his rival.


      Ren Li had recovered when he launched the counterattack. Knowing that she couldn't duck it, she settled her mind and visualized a pale green whirlwind that spanned from heaven to earth, devouring rocks, trees, and water, and sending them into the sky.


      Her muscles tightened, organs waggled, waves were created, and the visualized scene was replaced by a goddess, suppressing all the chaos and disorder.


      Facing Lou Cheng's fierce fist, Ren Li leaned to the side slightly, exerted strength from her shoulder, swelled her arms, and performed the Hai Di Lao Yue (a martial tactic) in the river move with her left palm.


      The 10th movement of the Wind Sect's simplified physical invulnerability, Heavenly Breath.


      Poom!


      Her fist met his and a violent gale flooded out, blowing a bigger half of the flame away but unable to stop the rest of it from entering Ren Li's body. The flame exploded abruptly, fire waves rolling out, shaking her organs and shattering her qi and blood.


      While Ren Li felt a taste of rusty metal in her throat, Lou Cheng heard the wind blustering up from his feet, attempting to tear his muscles and fascia apart and lift him into the air.


      Ren Li clinched her teeth and straightened her back. Her arms bloated suddenly and were raised, lifting Lou Cheng into the sky as if he was light like a feather.


      The special feature of the Heavenly Breath was that it could send one's rival to heaven!


      When a martial artist without the supernatural ability to fly was lifted above the ground completely, he would usually be in danger.


      A foreign fighter experienced it and gave it a romantic name, the Dragon Lifting Tyrant!


      As Lou Cheng was flying in the air, Ren Li quickly concentrated her force and dissolved most of the effects resulted from the Internal Explosion. Facing the falling enemy, she performed the Wind footwork and turned her body into a spiral gale that rose with a shriek.


      Blessed by the strong wind, her two hands clenched like two drills.


      Combo! Another combo!


      While Ren Li was concentrating her force, Lou Cheng had adjusted his weight and prepared himself for her deadly combo. He gathered streams of hot currents, pressed down and hooked up his left palm, and threw out a brutal red fireball.


      "Flame Burn!"


      Bam!


      The fireball hit Ren Li from the front, but a whirlwind scattered it into pieces. As the fireball pieces fell down, Ren Li's figure leaped out from the gale and rose rapidly to the same height as Lou Cheng.


      Lou Cheng felt fortunate that he didn't compress all his supernatural power of blaze into a bold attempt to completely blow the rival away, or he would have landed in an awful predicament and would've wasted everything in vain.


      Bam!


      His right wrist hooked and shook, firing out a cold beam at Ren Li's face. In the meantime, his left hand held tight and threw a hook at her lower stomach.


      Lou Cheng was still rising and Ren Li's upthrow motion had just terminated.


      Seeing the ice flame approaching, Ren Li's right fist, which was sitting in front of her neck, opened up in a calm manner and pushed out into the void.


      Pam!


      A violent blast burst out with a crispy sound, igniting the cold beam.


      To confront Lou Cheng's left hook, she lowered her palm and received it with ease.


      Ren Li then took a deep breath, expanding her body and slowing down her falling as if a parachute had been opened on her back or a blow of wind was carrying her.


      As one was falling rapidly and the other dropping slowly, there was soon a difference between Lou Cheng and Ren Li's height.


      Pam! Ren Li exhaled a puff of turbid air and resumed her original falling speed. She threw a fierce left kick at Lou Cheng's head from a higher position.


      Lou Cheng lifted his right arm to engage her strike, keeping his heart as an ice mirror to sense all the subtleties.


      Bang!


      Strengthened by the force from falling, Ren Li kicked Lou Cheng's arm away and followed up closely with a right kick with the force from bouncing.


      "If one kick is not enough to knock you out, I'll give you another one!"


      Lou Cheng lifted his left arm and barely blocked the strike. Taking advantage of Lou Cheng's loose stance, Ren Li turned and kicked again in hopes of finishing him off, but the kick missed.


      After receiving two kicks, Lou Cheng was dropping at a faster speed and was smashing into the ground.


      Deng!


      As soon as Lou Cheng reached the ground, he took steps backward to dissolve the great force from falling. When his body almost resumed stability, Ren Li landed on the stage and created a small whirlwind with her wind steps striding to the left and then turning to the right, blowing a low whistle to the audience's hearts.


      In the mind-thrilling sound, Lou Cheng's Ice Mirror collapsed and he felt dizzy. But he managed to stay calm and firm, visualizing an ancient character and shouting out in a low voice,


      "Forwarding!"


      His mind was clear again. The wind sound became sharper and Ren Li shot out from the Whirlwind and reached him in no time. The audience could hardly follow her movements.


      Movement 22 of the Wind Sect, Roaring!


      As the distance between them was quickly shortened, Ren Li visualized a human body with numerous streams of black air going in and out.


      Her feet stopped and the scene in her head was replaced by a blue-faced, red-haired, three-headed, six-armed, and deep-eyed god coming down from heaven holding a seal, a bell, and a banner in his hands.


      Pam!


      When the god in her mind waved the banner and sounded the bell, Ren Li shook her right arm and threw a downward punch out!


      The simplified physical invulnerability of the Plague Sect, Illness!


      Protected by the Forwarding Formula, Lou Cheng didn't suffer long from the sound attack of the wind steps. He had pretty much sobered up when Ren Li got close. Understanding that he might be hit even if he attempted to dodge, he decided to meet force with force and answer Ren Li's strike with the Internal Explosion by visualizing another blood red Great Sun and Zhu Rong the god of fire.


      "Since she's close to the Inhuman stage, she's probably able to dissolve the power of the Internal Explosion with the force and waves of the simplified physical invulnerability. Even if I can't damage you terribly in three bouts, I can cause you severe internal wounds and significantly lower your strength."


      "This is going to be the second bout!"


      Pam! Lou Cheng suddenly felt empty of content, short of breath, and weak in the limbs, as if he was going through a severe illness.


      Ren Li took one step back, her sparkling eyes bloodshot, abdominal organs rolling, head bloated, and stomach upset.


      "I can't let him concentrate his force to ease the illness!" Ren Li clenched her teeth and shook her arms, aiming at the rival's head, despite the physical pain and discomfort in her body.


      Out of breath and feeling weak, Lou Cheng had difficulties wielding his strength. He struggled to lift his arms to block the attack.


      Pang! He was pushed back, staggering. Ren Li, with stars shining in her vision, swung her back to rush a left kick.


      Lou Cheng moved further back, stumbling, feeling weak and light, and just got away from the flying kick.


      Ren Li wanted to push forward and take this opportunity to defeat her rival, but she was too dizzy from her rolling blood, qi, and organs to move. She took a deep breath and let her blood and qi, strength, spirit, and effect from the Internal Explosion gather at her Dantian.


      Lou Cheng drove his spirit with his willpower and forced his force to concentrate, compressing the illness between his fire and ice.


      This was the very first gentle section of this fight.


      "Beautiful!" In the broadcasting studio, Chen Sansheng was very tempted to express his feelings with the f-word.


      "Fxxking Beautiful!"


      Ren Li and Lou Cheng had taken the upper hand in turns since the beginning of this fight. They actively pursued opportunities to attack and tried hard to keep the initiative. The fight had been so intense that no one had a second to spare because loads of things could take place in a split second.


      If the fight was cut into sections, we could easily see that they had been fighting with their lives all this time until now. Any other Professional Sixth Pin fighter would have broken down in front of such aggressive strikes, but they were both still hanging there.


      "They live up to the title the favored fighter of the age!"


      "What else can I say?" An interesting emoji appeared in Chen Sansheng's head.


      The audience cheered and screamed and then fell silent. When Lou Cheng and Ren Li separated, they came back to reality as if waking up from a long nap, shouting and yelling like crazy.


      "Great!"


      "Super!"


      The sound waves thundered like the ocean, bringing Yan Zheke back to reality. She loosened her fists and her bite on her bottom lip, recovering from the unbearable intensity and catching her breath.


      Her eyes locked on the fight again when Lou Cheng and Ren Li both concentrated their force and dashed forward, taking advantage of the rival's weak moment.




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     399 The Hidden Scen
      Crack!


      Lou Cheng and Ren Li each had their forces concentrated and threw themselves at each other. In a split second, they were close at hand.


      Ren Li suddenly paused and turned into a paper man, leaning backward and then sideways through the strong wind resulted from Lou Cheng's high-speed charge. She agilely avoided the frontal confrontation and broke up the rhythm.


      Bam! She lowered her weight and concentrated her force, launching a straightforward blast punch with the pound from the Dan stage eruption.


      Lou Cheng knew exactly why Ren Li did this, to disrupt his rhythm. She was afraid of having another frontal confrontation with his Internal Explosion because she knew she would suffer fairly severe injuries from it which would pretty much determine the result of this neck and neck match.


      Three Internal Explosion punches had a chance of killing some Professional Sixth Pin fighters who couldn't achieve the simplified physical invulnerability.


      To not confront Lou Cheng from the front when he was well prepared, she would have to disturb his rhythm at all costs to waste his preparation.


      Lou Cheng had kind of predicted it. He didn't think he could give the favored fighter of the age another Internal Explosion easily.


      However, he had figured out a substitute plan.


      Lou Cheng's eyes narrowed and his qi, blood, and strength were gathered together before being shot out into his right arm. All the muscles in his arm tightened and closely stuck to each other.


      Internal Explosion leaves the organs shivering. I'll find another means to ignite it.


      "Come and try my Thunder Roar Zen!"


      Bam!


      At the very last second, Lou Cheng visualized thunderclouds vibrating and whirled his right arm to meet Ren Li's Blast Punch.


      Bang!


      Following the loud explosion sound, all the muscles on Ren Li's body's surface shook and the discomfort in her Five Viscera and Six Bowels intensified. She hurried to concentrate her force to calm her blood and qi and dissolve the shiver.


      Lou Cheng was about to whirl his arms to cause more shiver with another Dan stage explosion when a faint fruity fragrance that he had never experienced hit his nose.



      The fruity scent awakened the shortness of breath, oppression in his chest, and weakness in his limbs. He felt a minor ache in his head, sick at the stomach, and short of breath.


      "Could this be the odd martial arts style invented by the Kongtong School Ke mentioned before?"


      "The killing gas? The biological weapon?"


      Ren Li didn't perform it earlier because she hadn't reached the Inhuman stage or the physical invulnerability yet, which meant she couldn't cause much of an impact on him. However, after Lou Cheng got hit by the simplified physical invulnerability of the Plague Sect, a seed was planted in his body, and the scent could work greatly to worsen his symptoms and performance in battle.


      As ideas flashed through his mind, Lou Cheng instantly flew his blood and qi back and concentrated his force to eliminate the influence. He held his breath and turned right, whirling his left arm as if wielding a huge hammer at Ren Li.


      The force in Ren Li's Dantian was gushing and her arms were bloated. She threw a left upward punch to block Lou Cheng's terror Zen.


      Bang!


      Her body pulsated slightly out of her control and her qi and blood were boiling and rolling again, more intense than earlier. The fruity scent became stronger within a one-meter radius, and it condensed inward and spread outward.


      Lou Cheng held his breath, gathered his Dan, and prepared for another thunder Zen, attempting to completely ignite the shake left in Ren Li's body by the Internal Explosion before his physical condition affected his combat performance.


      He had recently mastered some new moves of the Ice Sect, but at this very moment, the Thunder Roar Zen was probably the most effective strike. A martial artist couldn't always go after the far-away at the expense of the near-at-hand to take the enemy by surprise.


      In short, the essential rule for any martial arts battle was to defeat the enemy with the most suitable moves at the most suitable time.


      Ren Li concentrated her force again and again to dissolve and restrain the physical discomfort and sent out more hidden scent with her punches and explosions in hopes of breaking down Lou Cheng's combat strength before the shock within her got ignited and winning this fight.


      This was the most effective means she could think of right now.


      Triple Explosion and then Quadruple Explosion and Quintuple Explosion. Lou Cheng clenched his teeth, held his breath, and whirled his arms to launch the thunder Zen over and over again frequently like a blacksmith bloating his muscles and hammering weapons.


      One, two, three, and four... He forced his eyes open wide and punched again and again despite his narrowing pupils, tightness in his chest, and weakness in his body.


      Bam! Bam! Bam! Ren Li held her ground and completed multiple explosions herself while keeping her force concentrated to suppress the rolling qi and blood and shaking organs.


      More and more of her blood capillaries were broken, turning her fair skin rosy pink and eyes bloodshot, making her gums bleed and giving her a taste of rust in the throat.


      Something is not right! Lou Cheng should have reached his limits long ago! He should be out of breath and weak by now. He should be showing more signs and symptoms!


      Sextuple Explosion and then septuple and octuple! Ren Li saw Lou Ch e ng imposing and overwhelming, his hair and beard shooting out like a warrior returning from death. It was impossible to tell his actual status.


      "No... I can't continue like this..." Feeling overwhelmed, Ren Li was no longer sure about her current strategy and thought about changing her means.


      After another Force Concentration, she pushed her back forward and lifted her right foot to launch a series of flying kicks like a whirlwind, which forced Lou Cheng back and gained herself some space to adjust her breath, gathering her Dan realm and calming her physical discomfort.


      Lou Cheng had long quitted holding his breath in such a violent battle and intense collisions. He inhaled the fruity fragrance and began to feel dizzy, short of breath, and worn out.


      As soon as Ren Li withdrew, Lou Cheng released his blood and qi and shot his body out to the side like a lightning bolt to take in fresh air as much as possible.


      "I couldn't last long if I didn't have this break."


      Ren Li couldn't help feeling slightly upset as she didn't realize Lou Cheng had already been pushed to his utmost limits when she could have handled three if not four Tremor Punches.


      In Songcheng University Martial Arts Club's seating area, Yan Zheke noticed how thirsty her boyfriend was for air and realized what had happened in the ring. Her heart was aching, she felt very concerned and rather proud, and she began to pray.


      Has Cheng forced Ren Li to perform that move?


      She probably intended to save it as her trump card for Peng Leyun.


      The slightly recovered Lou Cheng didn't think too much. He quickly formed a seal in his hands and visualized an ancient character in his head before calling in a low voice,


      "Xing!"


      His figure charged out at lightning speed and reached Ren Li in no time, very eager to fight.


      "Care less about life and death and fight on if you don't want to accept your defeat!"


      His blood and qi were gathered and then spurting, driving the remaining fragrance apart. Lou Cheng pulled his arms back and launched another ferocious thunder Zen!


      Ren Li's bearing was cracked and negative feelings were brewing, affecting her status. She failed to keep the distance between Lou Cheng and herself and had to focus at her Dan realm again to send off more hidden scent.


      Bang!


      Ren Li's muscles quivered and more blood streaks appeared in her eyes. She could barely keep the rolling qi and blood down.


      Lou Cheng held his breath and released his qi and blood while whirling his left arm.


      Bam! Bam! Bam! His punches at Ren Li echoed in Liu Chang, Chen Sansheng, Yan Xiaoling, Mu Jinnian, and every spectator's heart.


      Bang!


      Bang!


      Bang!


      Lou Cheng's vision became blurry. He reached his right arm out and threw another downward thunder Zen.


      Bam!


      Ren Li lifted her arms to block the strikes and her qi and blood were shocked again. The effect left in her body by the Internal Explosion was completely ignited.


      Her Five Viscera and Six Bowels experienced convulsions at the same time. The dizziness in her head was unbearable and there seemed to be blood spilling out from her throat. Ren Li's stance fell apart.


      An opportunity!


      Lou Cheng widened his eyes and infused strength into his shoulders to launch a side hook at his rival's temple.


      Everything in front of him became blurry, like the replay of a film in slow motion.


      "Am I at my limits?" He saw his fist slowly moving towards Ren Li's head and she slowly swung her arm, aiming at his throat.


      Phew... Phew!


      Their fists were grabbed by the referee at the same time.


      In the last bout, Lou Cheng took the initiative, but his strength was at its limit and his movement was slow. Ren Li was not much better, but she saw it as an opportunity to sink together with her rival.


      Ren Li was able to block Lou Cheng's strike, but she wouldn't have much strength left to launch a counterattack after. She wasn't sure how exhausted Lou Cheng was at that moment. It made perfect sense for her to take the risk.


      Lou Cheng couldn't have gone this far without his firm and tough determination and the bearing developed from the tempering between life and death. How could he have any strength left? He couldn't throw another attack if this punch missed.


      The referee thought about it carefully before lifting his right arm and announcing loudly,


      "Round One, tie!"


      The very first tie in this national university martial arts tournament!


      While giving the announcement of the result, the referee shook his arms and created a sudden strong wind which blew clear the hidden scent around Lou Cheng. His head was clear again and he resumed his full consciousness. Things no longer moved in slow motion.


      Lou Cheng didn't feel disappointed at the result of this fight. He was actually pleased about it. Ren Li was stronger than him in terms of actual combat strength and way stronger than Peng Leyun was last December. If he didn't suppress her in momentum with his determination, he would have been dealt a rout.


      After this match, I can summarize and improve again!


      Terrific. I did much better than in the last fight of the favored fighters of the age.


      I didn't lose face again!


      Lou Cheng turned sideways and waved his fist at Yan Zheke sitting in Songcheng University Martial Arts Club's seating area. The wave was weak but high spirited.


      Yan Zheke felt very relieved and the shine returned to her eyes. She gave him her thumb subconsciously. The audience, also relieved, clapped and cheered for this exciting match between Lou Cheng and Ren Li and their graceful martial arts bearing.


      "They are indeed the favored fighters of the age!"




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     400 No Ridicule Lasts Overnigh
      The applause came in waves, each louder than the one before. Lou Cheng was panting heavily, trying to ease the tightness in his chest. He could feel his muscles cramping, evidently drained of all energy.


      After struggling for several seconds, he finally managed to calm down. He felt his mind clear up enough to focus, allowing him to concentrate his force.


      His muscles bulged as he condensed and released his qi and blood. His chest lifted and fell as he opened his mouth and expelled a breath of foul-smelling air. He finally felt like he was alive again.


      Even so, he still felt weak and out of breath. He would have to depend on his robust body and high metabolism to gradually ease him out of his fatigue. It wouldn't be something quick and easy.


      As expected, he had lost all strength to fight again. He barely managed to eek out the last two moves through the sheer power of will. Some light finally returning to his eyes, he saluted Ren Li and thanked her for the worthwhile match.


      During their match, Ren Li had also managed one Force Concentration with much difficulty. She was barely recovering from the raging qi and blood in her. She reciprocated Lou Cheng's bow and was about to say something when she suddenly pressed her hand over her mouth and spat blood into her palm. She could also feel that a few of her teeth had loosened from the shockwave and were close to falling off.


      Capable Dan stage martial artists were known for their vigorous qi and blood and rich life force. Even if their teeth were knocked out, they would grow back over time. These weren't considered injuries at all.


      Ren Li thought that she was going to practicing non-speaking vows for the next few days. She pressed her lips together, no longer speaking. She then turned around and climbed down the flight of stairs. As her limbs were still suffering from cramps and convulsions, every step she took felt unnatural and she was trembling all over.


      Shen You, Jiang Kongchan, and the others immediately rushed forward and supported her.


      Lou Cheng didn't fare any better. On his way down the stairs, his calves were cramping with each step he took. He also felt short of breath and had to constantly take deep breaths.


      Yan Zheke, Cai Zongming, and the others ran to him to support him by the arms.


      "Freaking awesome! You actually managed a draw!" With his idle hand, Cai Zongming gave his friends a thumb up.



      "Are you complimenting... or ridiculing me?" Lou Cheng joked. He paused in between his question, indicating his poor condition.


      Cai Zongming grinned. "Of course I'm complimenting you. I wonder how many gamblers are now heading for a rooftop. Nope, I bet the rooftops are full. The ground is full of bodies, piled up so high that they reach the edge of the roof."


      The vast majority had betted on a victory or a defeat!


      "It's not like I can do anything about that… Honestly, Ren Li should've won, but I forced a draw..." Lou Cheng said, honestly admitting that he was still lacking compared to Ren Li.


      Before he could finish his sentence, Yan Zheke interrupted him both out of irritation and concern. "Don't talk anymore! It's already so hard for you to talk… do you want to go to the emergency ward?"


      "No need, I'm feeling much better… I'll be fine in a few minutes." Though Lou Cheng had just received a scolding, his smile was actually so much brighter now.


      …


      Since it was a tie, there was no rush for the next round to begin. The referee motioned for Lin Que and Chen Diguo to wait for the staff to clean the arena.


      In the studio, the host, Liu Chang, took this opportunity to jokingly lament the outcome of the match.


      "Who would have guessed it would be a tie... This is so rarely seen!"


      He added, "It's probably really difficult for the referee to make such a decision. In my opinion, he could've named any of the two the winner and an amateur spectator like me would be none the wiser."


      Chen Sansheng chuckled. "The referee had taken into consideration that they would both be hurt badly in the last bout and thought a draw wouldn't be unreasonable. Ren Li and Lou Cheng were obviously at their limits. I'm not talking about their physical limits; it's their negative condition that stopped them from further combat. They could have lowered their heads or tilted their necks to avoid attacks, but neither would be able to make another attack after."


      "Haha, that's true. Their physical conditions were noticeably turning for the worse," Liu Chang said thoughtfully. "After taking Lou Cheng's Tremor Punch, Ren Li probably sustained injuries. Afterward, she had to suffer his Force Concentration directly. With so many injuries stacked on her, her negative condition was triggered. It was very easy to understand what happened to her, but what about Lou Cheng? His strength had inexplicably become weaker and weaker…"


      Chen Sansheng pondered over it carefully for some time, motioning for the producer to air a replay of several highlights from the match.


      "Pause! Pause right there! Did you see it? When Ren Li was withdrawing, Lou Cheng rushed to the side instead of pursuing her. He was panting as if he had been holding his breath for a long time."


      "You mean Lou Cheng didn't breathe that much in the collision earlier? Or perhaps, he didn't dare to breathe?" Liu Chang asked, looking rather terrified.


      "Yes. The secret moves of the Plague Sect are all odd and unpredictable, harming their opponents imperceptibly," Chen Sansheng replied. "I can't tell exactly which move she performed, but I can guess how it affected Lou Cheng. In their second major confrontation, he likely suffered Ren Li's simplified physical invulnerability of the Plague Sect and sustained a certain impact. Ren Li certainly wouldn't let go of this weak point in the following bouts, likely continuing the use of her secret move to strengthen the impact."


      "Her Plague Sect secret move seems to act through the respiratory system. How mysterious!" Liu Chang said, stunned. "Why didn't Lou Cheng adopt the guerrilla strategy and avoid the area with Ren Li's 'special scent'?"


      "This was a martial arts competition, a match between two fighters. He couldn't do as he pleased." Chen Sansheng smiled, shaking his head. "Didn't you notice? Ren Li was obviously grasping the chance to break down Lou Cheng's combat force with a series of Dan stage explosions, which would leave him no chance to escape. Judging from this point, we can tell that she had the upper hand during this part of the match and had a higher chance of winning compared to Lou Cheng. But she didn't think she could hold on and couldn't see an end to this match, and she had the option to retreat. Lou Cheng didn't have this option.


      "However, the tables were turned when she retreated. Lou Cheng also forced himself to shoulder on, grabbing the opportunity to use guerrilla warfare. Ren Li took her time to calm her qi and blood, ease her wounds, and shake off her uncertainties. Considering their performance in the earlier bouts, she would probably soon regain her initiative and boost her winning chances. It was hard to predict the outcome at that point, but the odds were definitely against Lou Cheng."


      Liu Chang looked like he was suddenly hit by a realization. "I see... Tsk, tsk. Lou Cheng was truly shockingly imposing. He threw punch after punch as if he had no limits, with the sole aim of knocking his opponent down even at the cost of his life! No wonder Ren Li's confidence was shaken and she chose to take a step back…"


      "That's right. When they reached that point, they could no longer accurately determine each other's condition. Everything depended on their will, every move sustained by their confidence and vigor. At that moment, they couldn't accurately tell the rival's condition. It took all they had to affect each other. Lou Cheng did better here, using those aspects to make up for his inferiority in strength. Hehe, I'm not calling him weak. It hasn't been that long since he started practicing martial arts, but he already has a tie with Ren Li! He's doubtlessly a favored fighter of the age!" In his analysis of the match, Chen Sansheng sincerely complimented Lou Cheng.


      Yan Xiaoling, also known as the Eternal Nightfall, as well as Brahman 001 and Unparalleled Dragon King, tagged An All-knowing Man in Ganghood on Weibo just then.


      "I'm just here to laugh a little. Haha, haha. I'll cover my mouth and leave."


      "The more I see you, the more I feel you have the potential to be the next Poison Milk. Looks like you're ready to replace Master He (the Go Die emoji)."


      "He had a tie with Ren Li after only one and a half years of martial arts training. If he's not considered a favored fighter of the age, who is?"


      "I'm sitting tight and waiting for your long post. Let's see what kind of nonsense you'll make up this time!"


      …


      An All-knowing Man in Ganghood started breathing heavily after reading all the posts that tagged him on Weibo. He suddenly grabbed the mug sitting on his desk and hurled it away.


      Crash!


      The mug hit the wall and broke into small pieces.


      Meanwhile, many users were leaving comments under Superstitious Belief Is Bad's prediction post on Weibo.


      "I feel like this time you've served a good cup of poisoned milk to the Capital."


      "Now that Lou Cheng wasn't cursed with rebound effects, you're finally showing your specialty to the fullest. I have faith in you!"


      "Don't put it like that. What Master He predicted was the overall loss of Songcheng due to their weak bench fighters. Isn't it still too early to say he's wrong? After this post, I'll go and put in another 100 bet on Songcheng."


      …


      In the seating area for the Songcheng team, Geezer Shi clicked his tongue after taking a quick glance at Lou Cheng.


      "Not bad. You've managed to push it to this extent. Let's see if Qi Ling, that old spirit, will brag about her disciple in front of me from now on."


      Old spirit... Feeling much better now, the corners of Lou Cheng's mouth twitched as he said, "Isn't Master Qi much younger than you?"


      She looked to be in her early fifties.


      "Yeah, she's younger." Geezer Shi scoffed. "But she has no respect for seniors and still calls herself an elder sister in front of fighters of a younger generation."


      Wasn't this quite ordinary for women… Lou Cheng didn't quite get his master. He returned to his seat, accepted the Sedative and Brain-invigorating Fluid from Yan Zheke, and took a huge gulp from it.


      "Back then, Master Qi was a known beauty in the martial arts circle. She had knowledge and versatile talents; she was also well-versed in poetry and painting…" Yan Zheke lowered her voice, momentarily gossiping before began to complain. "Why can't you care more about yourself? Why did you have to fight with Ren Li like that?"


      She knew Lou Cheng did what he thought best after a thorough consideration, but she couldn't resist nagging him about it.


      Lou Cheng took a deep breath and smiled. "There might be other moves I could've used to lower the influence of Ren Li's secret move, but there's no way to stop or isolate the influence. I could only slow it down. Under the circumstances where I was getting weaker as the match continued, I wouldn't have any chance to turn the tide if I didn't use tremor punch to intensify her shivers and weaken her..."


      The referee inspected the fighting ring while they were still talking and waved at Lin Que and Chen Diguo.


      Lin Que was already up, standing at the edge of the seating area. He gave each of his team members a fist bump before walking up the stone stairs. His expression was serene and his eyes were energetic, hiding a fiery passion inside.


      Whether or not Songcheng could win against Capital would completely depend on this upcoming match against Chen Diguo!


      The audience had also stopped reminiscing about the exciting match earlier and focused on the arena once again.


      "Good luck, Chen Diguo!" the supporters of the Capital College Martial Arts Club cheered in unison.


      Several scattered voices started shouting in the arena.


      "Songcheng University!"


      "Good luck, Lin Que!"


      After an intense fight, only one of the two favored fighters of the age would be able to advance to the semi-finals.




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     401 Force of Storm
      The ring had been cleaned up. Except for some pits, the fighting ground had been taken care of. Standing in the center, Lin Que saw Chen Diguo come step by step with a red handkerchief on his head. Chen's body was as strong as a bear, looking calm and imposing.


      The second-leading fighter in the Capital College Martial Arts Club was directly influenced by Ren Li and Peng Leyun. He was somewhat gifted, considering that entering the Dan Stage before graduation was worth his time and effort. Of course, he was going to graduate with a college degree, so he would be doing just fine if he were to choose another profession. However, when he met Ren Li in his sophomore year, he realized how narrow-minded he was and how trivial his pursuits were. Therefore, he was inspired to make a difference by not wasting his youth and energy!


      Assisted and guided by Ren Li, Lin Que kept working on martial arts. Finally, he was admitted to Kongtong School and inherited the Wind Sect. It was in May, his sophomore year, that his strength integrated as one and his Qi arose from within his body. He entered the Dan Stage.


      Over nearly two years, he had advanced gradually. Now he was a true Seventh Pin fighter who had entered the Dan Stage, ranking as the second-class Mighty One among fighters of the college level.


      Of course, he paid the price. He was "infected" by Ren Li and was often lost in the martial arts world when he was walking. He even picked a place to practice any time he felt like it. He ended up becoming a "road idiot"—somewhat different than Ren Li. And although he knew the road, when he came back around to himself, he found that he was in the middle of nowhere.


      Once, the club manager and deputy manager of the Capital College Martial Arts Club had gotten lost at the same time...


      "He can be a tough enemy..." Lin Que thought. All the details of his enemy flashed across Lin Que's mind.


      Chen Diguo obtained his certificate of Seventh Pin half a year ago. Now he was getting stronger...


      Stepping forward a little, Chen Diguo held his body still and took the stance with his right palm stretching ahead. This was called the Fighting Stance.


      "His Qi is guiding his moves," Lin Que thought, keeping a close eye on his opponent.


      Lin Que lowered his position and got ready to fight. The atmosphere turned serious immediately.



      In the area of the Songcheng Martial Arts Club, Yan Zheke put her hands together, feeling nervous, and stopped chatting with her boyfriend.


      Lou Cheng leaned forward, putting down the energy drink, Sedative and Brain-invigorating Fluid. He crossed his hands and stared at the ring.


      He had barely accomplished their goals. Their results now depended on his brother-in-law's performance.


      Ren Li will enter into the Inhuman State this year, becoming a high-ranked fighter of the Dan Stage. Peng Leyun will be even faster. As for me, my martial arts competence is of top Sixth Pin, yet my inner state is far below theirs.


      Danqi was a great leap, while Inhuman was just a promotion. Essentially, Danqi had a greater influence on fighters, but in actual fighting, entering the Inhuman Stage could enhance a fighter's competence more than entering into the Dan Stage could.


      But why was that so? Because as martial arts competence was improved, stronger Might was gained. Even if it was only a tiny increase in competence, the effect would be significant.


      As the audience held their breath, the referee raised his right arm and then put it down swiftly.


      "Start!"


      Lin Que stopped trembling. He held his breath and then directed his Qi to his feet.


      His thigh and calf were swollen up immediately. His knees bent forward. Click! Lin Que leapt ahead as fast as a shooting star.


      As a fighter, Chen Diguo had repeatedly watched Lin Que's fighting videos, and he was ready for Lin Que's opening attack.


      Bang!


      Chen Diguo raised his right leg. His twisted his ankle in midair, kicking out with a strong wind toward Lin Que's eyes.


      This was the Stern Blade. But Chen Diguo's strength and competence were less than Ren Li's, so he could not bring about a sharp wind sword. He could only use that skill to attack his enemy's weak points and to disturb his sight.


      However, Lin Que's leap was so fast that if he was hit by the wind blade, the impact would be so hard that it could result in damage to his eyes and blind him!


      The wind was howling. Lin Que put his left arm at his chest and defended himself while still leaping forward. He endured and directly broke through the Stern Blade.


      Of course, Chen Diguo never thought his Leg Blade was enough to fight back his enemy. After kicking, Chen drew back, concentrating his Qi and blood, strength, and spirit.


      Bam!


      Chen's Danqi was erupting out. He stepped forward and dragged his left arm behind. He looked serious as if he was under a heavy burden.


      Meanwhile, Lin Que stood still. His muscles vibrated and his fascia trembled. He turned the momentum into the power of his blast punch with his clenched right fist.


      "Boom!" Lin Que's fists were like a cannonball, igniting the air in front of him and causing a blast that would have hurt any ordinary man.


      "Bang!"


      Chen Diguo's left arm had reserved all of its strength and now he pulled it forward like a steel whip, waving against Lin Que's Meteor Blast and refusing to yield an inch.


      Chen swung his left arm and stirred a strong wind toward the ground. The noise that resounded in the hall was proof of Chen's Might. If the ground had not been cleaned up before, the ring would have been covered in dust by now.


      This match between top fighters was legendary!


      "Bang!"


      Chen broke through the air blast by force, and then he stepped back. He then raised his leg and slanted forward.


      He was fully aware that Lin Que's Earth Cracking was the next move after Meteor Blast. So Chen carried out the Whirlwind, a secret skill in the Wind Sect, as an attack and a way of escaping Lin's movement.


      Pop! He kicked with both of his legs, arousing a continuous wind blast that made him float in midair.


      Seeing this, Lin Que bent his body and lowered his position, stretching out his arms. He kept punching wildly by his resilient fascia and flexible joints as if he had more than two arms.


      This was the Eight-Arm Divine Punch, the 113th skill in the Fighting Sect.


      Bang! The sound was intense and deep. Chen Diguo's Whirlwind was completely blocked. Before Chen switched to another move, Lin Que changed his strategy and visualized a fiery shooting star across the sky.


      His shoulders and arms swung swiftly and he launched the Meteor Force onto his enemy's feet.


      Bam!


      It seemed as if Chen Diguo had stepped on a mine. He could feel the paralysis climbing up from his feet.


      He even felt that his right leg was no longer part of his body. It seemed disconnected somehow.


      He drew back, with his Qi and blood fluctuating. His toe pointed to the ground, allowing him to endure by using Force Concentration to ease the impact. He decided to visualize a storm to control his muscles, fascia, and organs. The interaction would create a series of vibrations that would restore the body.


      This was called the Storm Force of the Wind Sect!


      He knew very well that if his Qi and blood refluxed now, Lin Que would seize the opportunity to carry out the Earth Cracking. And then he would thoroughly lose his balance and, afterward, Lin Que's Doomed Death would take him down. So Chen needed to use another move.


      Chen Diguo's body was permeated with Qi, drifting in midair.


      At that moment, Lin Que finished the gathering and realizing of his Qi and force in a short instant and then stepped heavily onto the ground!


      Clang!


      The ring was moving as if there were a volcano within it. The ground where Chen Diguo stood was cracked, with erupting steam and rocks.


      But Chen Diguo was like a flying kite, floating away swiftly.


      Lin Que seemed calm. He raised his arm and made a seal, shouting out,


      "Move!"


      He bounced ahead like lightning, arriving in front of Chen Diguo.


      Chen Diguo drifted along with the Dan realm, and his Qi and blood were refluxing, which stabilized his body.


      By doing so, he eased the impact of Meteor Force and, at the same time, he swung a Forward Punch to fight back. It seemed that Lin Que was moving toward his fists.


      However, Lin Que was too fast. Chen had not even completed the stance.


      At that point, Lin Que stopped on a dime. His Yin and Yang were recycling. His muscles trembled and the momentum of leaping forward turned into the drive that stabilized his balance and fascia.


      "Bang!"


      Lin Que dodged Chen Diguo's fierce Forward Punch by moving aside. And then he stretched his arms and limbs, lifting his left arm toward Chen's head.


      "Nice..." Lou Cheng smiled and nodded.


      Since the match began, Lin Que seemed anxious, but he had it all figured out. Now he finally had the upper hand.




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     402 The Fierce Combo
      Chen Diguo got a sense of a crisis when his punch missed Lin Que. Without hesitation, he counterattacked by bending back to raise his right arm like a seesaw, blocking Lin Que's left fist when it was about to approach him.


      Bang!


      While Chen Diguo's arm bounced off Lin Que's fist, the latter swung back his left arm with the help of 24 Blizzard Strikes and Yin-yang Twist. Then he took a step with his right foot to change his direction and then threw his right fist toward Chen Diguo's chest.


      Chen Diguo, a top Professional Ninth Pin fighter, had already made his name before being accepted by Kongtong School and was now learning the Chen clan's ancestral Taiji Pound. At this urgent moment, he again straightened his backbone and waist with the reaction that came from his right arm. Then he shook out his left fist under the inertia to block Lin Que's attack.


      Bang! In the dull thud, Chen Diguo had to quickly take a step back to keep balance after defending himself. However, what Chen Diguo had suffered up to now was only part of the Mega Avalanche. Withdrawing his fists and straightening his leg, Lin Que bounced to make a fierce and flexible kick at his opponent at a low height, giving Chen Diguo no chance to use Force Concentration. It seemed as if Lin Que wanted to defeat his opponent directly with an endless series of attacks.


      In the continuous sounds of explosions, Chen Diguo struggled to block Lin Que's Brutal Blizzard-like attacks and gradually lost his breath.


      He neede to stop it, or Lin Que would gradually accumulate advantages and finally defeat him without much effort.


      Bang!


      Raising his left arm in a hurry, Chen Diguo blocked Lin Que's blast punch with great strength as if he was fighting against a great flood. While his body was still shaking, he swung his right wrist at a high speed to make a gust of boomerang-like fierce wind with the help of Storm Force, which flew directly toward Lin Que's eyes.


      Wrist Sword, the Chen clan's special Kung Fu!


      As a normal disciple in Kongtong School, Chen Diguo had no access to the top Kung Fu of the Wind Sect, which belonged to those direct core descendants. So his Storm Force was not as competitive as Lin Que's movement, and it could not be promoted to a core force directly, like Lou Cheng's Frost Force, either. As a result, Chen Diguo's Stern Blade driven by his Storm Force was not as powerful as the same movement made by Ren Li.



      Though Chen Diguo accepted that fact, he was not willing to accept the result, which drove him to study and practice Stern Blade every day. Under the guidance of Ren Li and all kinds of reference files, he succeeded in adapting the skills of Stern Blade to his own condition and thus created a special Kung Fu, Wrist Sword.


      Though its effectiveness did not get any visible promotion, it could now be used quickly and secretly, which made it one of Chen Diguo's trump cards. Now Chen Diguo wanted to break Lin Que's series of attacks and fighting rhythm with it!


      The reason why he had plenty of time to create new Kung Fu was that he was unable to increase his strength as fast as Lou Cheng and Lin Que, who were always learning, practicing, and advancing, having no spare time to think about anything else.


      Hoot! Lin Que felt his eyes aching to warn him of the danger as the Wrist Sword approached him.


      Though it could not really hurt him, it was enough for him to feel a constriction in his eyes, which could affect him a little bit, as if being slapped in his eyes by a child.


      He was about to launch another attack and was thus unable to block it in time. So he immediately lowered his center of gravity and bent his head.


      Chen Diguo's actual purpose was to decelerate Lin Que's attack! Swinging his Wrist Sword, Chen Diguo drove his Qi and blood back without hesitation as Lin Que's Mega Avalanche paused. Then Chen Diguo made an explosion in his Dantian, which gave him the force to throw his left fist at Lin Que as a counterattack.


      Lin Que was also an experienced fighter, so he knew he would immediately be at the mercy of Chen Diguo's serial attacks if he chose to dodge the Wrist Sword. So he withdrew all of his Qi, blood, and force into his Dantian at the same time when he lowered his center of gravity and then punched at Chen Diguo's pouncing figure without hesitation as if a meteor finally collided into the ground, or a volcano finally made a horrible eruption.


      Bang!


      The muscles in their fists bulged slightly, and the blue tendons and vessels could be seen clearly. It seemed as if their fists were stuck to each other and frozen in mid-air.


      In an instant, a strong wind arose, picking up the rubble that was on the ground.


      Trying to keep their balance in that wave of Qi, the two in the ring both bent back while swinging their arms backward.


      At that moment, Chen Diguo again gathered all of his strength in his Dantian to make a double explosion, which helped him to move his center of gravity and kick his right leg out.


      He clearly knew that now that he had gotten an opportunity with the Wrist Sword, he must make as many explosions as possible in a short period and force Lin Que to take the same actions. Thus, he would drain Lin Que's energy before he lost the match, and thus offer Chan, the last fighter in his team, a good opportunity to defeat Lin Que.


      It could be seen from the previous matches that Lin Que had been advancing rapidly and that he might be able to make seven or eight explosions at his peak. Besides, Lin Que had learned the special Kung Fu of the Fighting Sect, which enabled him to be as powerful as a strong Seventh-Pin warrior. But Chen Diguo himself was also a tough fighter, even though he did not know much about the movements of the Wing Sect and was unable to get access to the top Kung Fu of his school. After all, Chen Diguo was an experienced Seventh-Pin fighter who could also make seven or eight explosions in a short time.


      Lin Que must take Chen Diguo's serial explosions seriously since they were made by a fighter who was at the same level of him. So he had to withdraw his Qi, blood, and the force gathered from the collision just now and make another explosion. Withdrawing his leg immediately, Lin Que blocked Chen Diguo's kick and again a fierce wind arose.


      Bang! Bang! Chen Diguo seized the opportunity to make a Triple Explosion and then a Quadruple Explosion with kneeing followed by elbowing at the same time, giving Lin Que no chance to counterattack.


      Bang! Bang! Lin Que mixed the 24 Blizzard Strikes and Yin-yang Twist into his serial explosions of the Dan Stage to make a stiff resistance. With the help of the strength he borrowed from blocking Chen Diguo's attack, Lin Que was even able to make his counterattack more fierce over time.


      Though Chen Diguo had already known that Lin Que was good at fighting with borrowed strength, he had never expected Lin Que to attain perfection of it. When his Quadruple Explosion came to its end, Chen Diguo was frightened to notice that there was not enough strength left for him to restrain Lin Que!


      Bang!


      Gathering all of his strength in his abdomen, Lin Que took advantage of the explosion to stretch his body and then punched toward Chen Diguo with great effort.


      Gritting his teeth, Chen Diguo restrained and then set his Qi and blood free, making a Quintuple Explosion while blocking Lin Que's attack directly with his left arm!


      He had no choice but to do this, or Lin Que would have immediately beat the sh*t out of him. The well-designed scene that he had designed to trap Lin Que now turned out to be a cage for himself!


      Bang!


      His fist hit his arm and made an explosion sound. Chen Diguo felt his opponent's surging force that he could no longer resist, so he began retreating at a high speed.


      Focusing on Chen Diguo with his deep, black eyes, Lin Que withdrew his Qi and force without taking any actions to preserve his energy. Then he made an explosion with his surging force to tighten the muscles in his legs.


      Taking this opportunity, Lin Que stepped heavily onto the ground with his right foot, doing a forward roll and creating an opportunity for himself to use Earth Cracking, a special movement of Unique Skill of the Fighting Sect, before Chen Diguo was able to drive his Storm Force!


      A Sextuple Explosion!


      Boom! The ring shook and cracked around Chen Diguo's foothold, and then the surging force spouted from the break in the floor, which again made Chen Diguo lose his balance.


      After borrowing the force from his stepping onto the ground, Lin Que straightened his knees to pounce forward at Chen Diguo. Then he stretched out his right hand, trying to grasp his opponent's shoulder with five fingers, which was actually the last movement of the serial attack, Doomed Death.


      When Lin Que was about to touch Chen Diguo's shoulder, the latter drove his Qi and blood in time and then bent to narrowly dodge Lin Que's grasping hand. Then Chen Diguo drove the force in his Dantian to swing his arm and grasp Lin Que in turn.


      The 14th move of the Wind Sect, Tangle!


      However, Lin Que's Doomed Death was not as easy as Chen Diguo had hoped. When his grasping hand missed its target, Lin Que immediately took a step forward and bent to curl his arm, directly blocking Chen Diguo's arm with his elbow. Now Chen Diguo could no longer gather strength since Lin Que had hit at his acupoints.


      Lin Que defused an explosion of the Dan Stage with the most normal movement!


      Then Lin Que turned sideways to smash himself into Chen Diguo like a falling meteor.


      Out of Chen Diguo's expectations, Lin Que's Doomed Death was not only the last move of his attack, but the start of a new one!


      Bang!


      Chen Diguo raised his arm to block Lin Que while continuing to retreat.


      Lin Que slid to catch up with him and again stretched out his right arm to grasp him for another Doomed Death!


      When Lin Que was about to grasp Chen Diguo's shoulder, the latter took a quick breath, visualized wuthering wind in his mind, and then poured his force into every part of his body.


      All his muscles were bulging as if they were filled with gas. Lin Que tried to close his fingers, but they immediately rebounded from Chen Diguo's muscles.


      How could the "wind" be caught?


      Noticing this dilemma, Lin Que again turned sideways.


      This time he used Force Concentration to stretch his body, and then again smashed himself toward Chen Diguo with greater force.


      "Bang!"


      Chen Diguo had just withdrawn his arm and put it in front of his chest when Lin Que's fierce attack broke his stance. He immediately lost the feeling of flying in the sky, because he was unable to drive another flood of force to support his movement in time.


      Lin Que's attack was as impermeable as a tempestuous wave, and all the audience believed he would easily win this round. But Chen Diguo had been dodging and struggling without being caught by Lin Que, which tightened Lou Cheng and the others' hearts even though they knew Chen Diguo had already reached his limit. In Lou Cheng and the audience's eyes, Chen Diguo would immediately fly out of Lin Que's attack range like a gust of wind once Lin Que made a small mistake, which would result in another round of fierce battling.


      No wonder Chen Diguo was an experienced Seventh-Pin fighter!


      At that moment, Lin Que pounced at Chen Diguo a third time, still trying to use the Doomed Death with his right arm.


      On the other side, Chen Diguo, who had already lost his stance and balance, had no other choice but to bend and struggle to drive his Qi and force back.


      However, Lin Que had learned from his previous mistake and immediately turned his grasping hand into a palm. Crack! He hit Chen Diguo on his shoulder with the help of his swinging elbow, which shocked Chen Diguo greatly and ruined his half-completed Force Concentration.


      While Chen Diguo was still trembling, Lin Que finally grasped his shoulder, visualized a meteor flying across the sky in his mind, and then poured his force into Chen Diguo's body, restraining the movements of his tendons and vessels and thus defused his resistance.


      Curling his elbow, Lin Que jumped up with Chen Diguo and then smashed him onto the ground with great force.


      The Fighting Sect's 10th move, "Doomed Death"!


      Bang!


      In the flying rubble and dust, Chen Diguo lay on the ring, feeling dizzy and disoriented. His whole body was aching and he could not even move at the moment. Then he heard the referee's loud voice.


      "Round two, Lin Que wins!"




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     403 Jiang Kongchan Kongchan is actually the transliteration of the word Utsusemi in Japanese, which means a human body without a soul in it.
      "Great!" Chen Sansheng slapped his thigh while cheering for Lin Que's performance in the studio, showing his favor of the young fighter.


      Upon hearing the sound of the impact made by Chen Sansheng, the host, Liu Chang, trembled with fear and moved his thigh away from the commentator's attacking range. Then he asked with a smile, "Pretty good. Sansheng, could you please make the best use of our time and explain to our audience about why you said 'great'?"


      "Timing, rhythm, and connection, all of them were great! Lin Que has made his Doomed Death famous!" Chen Sansheng continued to praise Lin Que. "For example, Lin Que showed great timing during his final movement that caught Chen Diguo. If he had turned the grasping hand into a palm a little earlier, Chen Diguo would have taken the opportunity to lower his shoulder and thus defuse Lin Que's attack, which would have enabled him to totally block Lin Que's attack with the following Force Concentration. On the other hand, if Lin Que had made his action later, Chen Diguo would have completed his Force Concentration and began withdrawing his Qi and blood, which would have weakened Lin Que's punch as if he had knocked into a bunch of cotton."


      "So, if he had done it sooner or later, it would not have worked?" Liu Chang asked, echoing him.


      Chen Sansheng nodded. "Yes, and that is exactly the core of Doomed Death. When Lin Que had trapped his opponent with Doomed Death, he would begin tangling them and interrupting their movements with a series of attacks. So his opponents could do nothing but struggle to block his attacks and finally drop into a hopeless situation. As a result, it was Doomed Death, not simplified physical-invulnerability moves, that was named the 10th movement of the Fighting Sect!"


      "Great, great." Liu Chang praised and then asked, "Sansheng, how much strength do you think Lin Que still has now? Will he be able to beat Jiang Kongchan from Capital College in the last round?"


      "It's hard to say." Chen Sansheng shook his head and smiled. "I know what you are thinking about. But actually, I'm brave enough to make a judgment, or even a prediction, of the last round since I have been a commentator for so many years and am long accustomed to criticism for my wrong predictions. But this time, I indeed don't know who will be the winner because neither Lin Que nor Jiang Kongchan has shown their peak states to us in the past two months."


      "Yeah, Lin Que defeated his opponents without much effort in the previous several matches, and Jiang Kongchan hasn't even appeared in the ring yet." Liu Chang nodded to agree with him. "But it seems that the fight against Chen Diguo has consumed much of Lin Que's energy."



      The program director turned the camera to Lin Que standing in the ring, who was now gasping to compose himself, and his hair was damp with sweat.


      "Yeah, Chen Diguo is a tough guy and only second to the top one among all the second-leading fighters, so Lin Que might have, at most, 30% or 40% of his strength remaining after that fierce battle. Jiang Kongchan reached the Dan Stage this year and was enrolled by Kongtong School to be the successor of the Kung Fu of the Wind Sect. And although what she learned was also not the core content, it was enough for her to advance by leaps and bounds. Now two months have passed, and it's really hard to analyze her present condition. Well, it is her, and not Jiang Jingfeng, that was chosen by Capital University, so it proves that at least she is better than a normal Eighth Pin fighter," Chen Sansheng said quickly.


      After reaching a new stage, most of the warriors would advance by leaps and bounds over a period of time because there was new Kung Fu and knowledge for them to practice and learn. Lou Cheng, Lin Que, Ren Li, and Peng Leyun had all had this period, and Jiang Sansheng believed that Jiang Kongchan was no exception, even if the improvement she got was not as great as that of those abnormal ones.


      "So, Jiang Kongchan is likely to win the match? It seems that Songcheng University is in danger…" Liu Chang said with a thoughtful expression on his face.


      Then suddenly he smiled. "You reminded me of something interesting. Is Capital College the training base for Kongtong School? There are so many disciples of Kungtong."


      "Not all of them are. Take Jiang Jingfeng, for example." Chen Sansheng smiled. "Now that Ren Li is in Capital University, all of the talented students will soon be sent to Kongtong School because of her relationship with them, and no other schools are as competitive as they are."


      "But things are different in Shanbei…" Liu Chang refuted him unconsciously.


      "Fang Zhirong was selected as the successor of his ancestral Kung Fu before he entered the university. As for Xu Wannian, he hasn't made any improvements for a long time, except for advancing his supernatural ability, so he couldn't be enrolled by the Shangqing Sect. But anyway, now he is counted among the Shangqing Sect. Now you know that things are different in the martial arts clubs of the different schools." The moment Chen Sansheng finished his speech, the program director immediately turned the focus to the scene.


      Round three was about to start!


      ...


      "Sigh…" Lou Cheng breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Lin Que finally catch Chen Diguo. Then he was soon struck by self-accusation, for there was a moment that he dared to doubt Lin Que's strength.


      But Doomed Death was really interesting.


      "Sigh…" Yan Zheke tapped her chest and sighed with relief without hiding her feelings.


      A joyful expression appeared on her face, but it was soon replaced with a worried look. She then asked in lowered voice,


      "Cheng, how much strength do you think my brother still has?"


      Looking at Lin Que in the ring, Lou Cheng said in his girlfriend's ear,


      "I fought with your brother for learning purposes just before the National Competition, and I know that his limit is making seven explosions in a short time."


      The remaining force of the Hidden Scent was still stirring up trouble within Lou Cheng's body. Lou Cheng found it a little hard to breathe but soon pulled himself through the effect with the help of his strong physical body and active metabolism, and thus there was no need for him to go to the doctor.


      "My brother has made the Sextuple Explosion and several other separated ones. He even used his special force and serial moves…" Yan Zheke turned her gaze upward while counting seriously, "Is he still able to use Force Concentration two or three times?"


      The degree of difficulty of a Dan-stage explosion was superimposed according to its level. Though Lin Que could make one Septuple Explosion or two Quintuple Explosions, he was merely able to make a Triple Explosion instead of a Quadruple Explosion after a Sextuple Explosion. So the result of the next round was not as optimistic as they hoped, not to mention that Lin Que still had consumed a lot in the last round.


      Lou Cheng thought for a while and then comforted the girl.


      "We just fought to learn from each other, so what I saw might not be your brother's real strength. Besides, more than half a month has passed and your brother has been learning and practicing in the ring, so I'm sure he has made some improvements, and now he may be able to make an extra Double Explosion and one or two Force Concentrations after expending so much energy. He is now in the same condition as those who have just reached the Dan Stage."


      "But the premise is that he won't use his special force in the next round… While my brother is almost tired out, Jiang Kongchan is a new fighter at her peak…" Yan Zheke said with great concern in her eyes.


      Lou Cheng laughed and then took the girl's hand in his.


      "You should trust your brother. There are many winning factors in an actual fight, and he will certainly take advantage of them. Even if he loses the match, he will force Jiang Kongchan to use up all her energy before he leaves the ring."


      Though speaking like this, Lou Cheng was actually feeling a little nervous since none of them knew Jiang Kongchan's real ability except for that she had just reached the Dan Stage this year. In her previous matches with other fighters, she had been fighting in a straight and narrow way without exposing her real style.


      Yan Zheke was about to say something else, but she suddenly stopped as Jiang Kongchan appeared in the ring.


      Round three was about to start!


      ...


      "I'm so nervous, so nervous." Brahman posted a "trembling" emoji in Lou Cheng's forum.


      "Nothing serious. The worst result is that we lose the competition, but we will at least be one of the top four, right?" Unparalleled Dragon King said jokingly with a "you should be strong" emoji.


      Eternal Nightfall, Yan Xiaoling, appeared. "Get out! I don't remember having an elder like you! I don't want to see Lou Cheng's efforts be in vain."


      All Good Names Are Taken By Dogs and the other fans appeared one by one to sigh with emotion and then disappeared, turning their gazes to the broadcasting screen.


      Round three was about to start!


      ...


      In the seats of Capital College, when Chen Diguo was snatched and then thrown onto the ground, Jiang Kongchan, the girl with a cute, round face, did not stand up immediately. Instead, she still stared at the ring with her hands joined together at her heart, as if Senior Brother Chen was still able to turn the tide.


      When the referee announced the end of the match, she finally sighed and left her seat.


      Ren Li, who had just recovered from her inner injury caused by the shock, waved her clenched fist at Jiang Kongchan and yelled like a member of the cheering squad.


      "Chan, good luck!"


      "Kongchan, just try your best and do not worry about anything else. I'm sure you will win." Shen You encouraged her in his usual, calm manner.


      Jiang Kongchan smiled. "Senior Brother Shen, I'm not nervous at all. Every day I was at the mercy of my senior sister, and now I'm trained to be calm under any circumstances."


      "You upset me by saying that…" Ren Li murmured.


      Instead of showing her great concern of the result of the match, she was still joking and laughing to cheer her junior sister up.


      Jiang Kongchan took a deep breath and walked toward the ring.


      She encountered Chen Diguo halfway, who was still suffering from aching muscles and dizziness.


      Chen Diguo gave her a fist bump and then warned her in his low voice.


      "Do not be frightened by Lin Que. He might not be your match if you fight against each other directly."


      Lin Que's last attack exposed his present condition to Chen Diguo.


      "Yeah!" Jiang Kongchan nodded hard and withdrew all her distracting thoughts before stepping into the ring.


      She had made up her mind when she stopped in front of Lin Que.


      She should neither be frightened by Lin Que nor look down upon him. Though she needed not worry about being defeated within a short time, she also knew it was impossible for her to win the match through fighting directly with Lin Que, since he might not be at his limit as she expected.


      She should make the most of her strong points and fight in her usual style as she liked!


      Looking around, the referee decided not to waste time. So he raised his right hand, waved it downward, and announced,


      "Start!"


      Round three started!


      As the cheering sounds came from the stands, Lin Que took action before Jiang Kongchan. In the audience's eyes, he was just like a cheetah pouncing on his prey from seven to eight meters away!


      Jiang Kongchan felt both relieved and frightened. On the one hand, Lin Que had really used up most of his energy in the former round and now he was unable to use the Dan-stage explosion and the Xing Formula at the start as they would cost him too much energy. On the other hand, Lin Que had not lost his momentum at all in Jiang Kongchan's eyes, which showed he was really a tough fighter.


      Taking a step sideways, Jiang Kongchan turned in a clever way to dodge Lin Que's attack and flash to his side at the same time.


      Coming to an abrupt stop, Lin Que transformed the kinetic energy into an impact force with his trembling muscles and fascia and threw out his arm to the right, making a thunderous sound.


      When Lin Que was about to complete his movement, Jiang Kongchan flew backward with Absolute Reaction, stopped herself by stepping onto the ground with her toes, and then bounced back to punch at Lin Que like a bolt of lightning.


      Flying along with the fierce wind, Jiang Kongchan blocked Lin Que's fist with hers, making a loud grinding sound.


      Bang!


      As the two in the ring both swayed for a moment, a joyful look appeared on Jiang Kongchan's face.


      Now Lin Que's strength had declined to the same level as hers!




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     404 An arrow at the End of Its Fligh
      Though their present strength was still at the same level, Lin Que had been fighting for a long time and was now suffering from an accelerated physical decline. On the other side, Jiang Kongchan had just joined in the competition and her condition was still at its peak, which would be able to support her to fight for a long time. So it was clear who had the whip hand now.


      Thoughts flashing through Jiang Kongchan's mind, the girl felt much more confident now, and the burning bravery within her immediately fueled her momentum, which even surpassed Lin Que's at the moment. As soon as her right fist swung back, the girl immediately made a forceful explosion in her left shoulder and leaned forward to shake out her upper arm, lower arm, and wrist one by one. After straightening her whole arm with great force, the girl punched directly at Lin Que's temple.


      The moment that Lin Que's punch was blocked by Jiang Kongchan, he immediately borrowed the strength to step backward and turn his body to face Jiang Kongchan directly. Then he raised his left arm, which was put in front of his chest, to block Jiang Kongchan's punch while launching another attack.


      At that moment, Jiang Kongchan took a step to the left and again flashed to Lou Cheng's side. Her punch with her left fist was forced to change its route but continued to fly at Lin Que along another route!


      The original force that she gathered in her punch had already been used up, so she drove her joints and stretched her fascia to gather another quantity of force. Then she stretched her fingers to hit Lin Que's temple with an abrupt explosive force!


      It was the Dan-stage version of Wuthering Eight Movements, which mixed the eight movements together and thus made lots of derived moves, among which the most special move was called Wind Step.


      Instead of referring to its high speed, it actually meant that the core of this movement was under the fighter's feet. The user should guide his or her body with footwork and then change the punching direction with body movement, which would fog their opponent's eyes and make it hard for the poor guy to use Absolute Reaction. Even Dan-stage warriors found it hard to deal with an opponent that suddenly changed directions within a short distance, even if they were able to notice it in time.


      Though Jiang Kongchan made sure that Lin Que was tired out, which added to her confidence, she did not let the success go to her head, since Lin Que's real level was still much higher than hers. She knew that Lin Que was still able to make one, two, or even three counter-attacks; thus she chose the Dan-stage version of Wuthering Eight Movements to fight in the beginning and set traps in her skirmish-fight, leaving Lin Que no chance to attack her back. She was sure that Lin Que would be worn down soon by this war of attrition!



      She was fighting like a wolf in sheep's clothing!


      Bang!


      When Jiang Kongchan stretched out her five fingers, Lin Que felt a sharp pain in his temple and turned his head sideways to dodge unconsciously. Meanwhile, he swung his elbow and turned his right palm into a blade to hit the key acupoint in Jiang Kongchan's wrist.


      Jiang Kongchan immediately withdrew her left arm, slightly arched her back, and stepped her right foot forward to kick toward Lin Que's ankle. At the same time, she hid her right fist beside her waist and then punched toward Lin Que's waist secretly. The series of attacks were connected smoothly like a continuous gust of wind. In fact, her attacks were mostly formed by secret killer moves.


      Lin Que took a breath and then shifted his center of gravity to the left side, which helped him to flash sideways and dodge the round-faced girl's serial attacks.


      The moment that Lin Que stepped on the ground with his toes, he turned his body into a dropping meteor and dashed against the girl fiercely.


      However, Jiang Kongchan had already stepped her right foot onto the ring and flashed to another side the moment that she missed the target. It was still the tricked set she had been using, the Dan-stage version of Wuthering Eight Movements.


      "Great." Chen Sansheng praised her in the studio. "She really has touched the core of the Wind Sect by herself. Now she is even able to make such great destruction with a normal Wind Sect movement, and there might be no one at the same stage that could surpass her in the most recent five years, except for Ren Li."


      What he referred to was not the fighters' strength but their understanding of the core of Martial Arts.


      "Yeah, I still remember the day when Ren Li, who was merely an Eighth-Pin fighter then, challenged a warrior stronger than herself. She kept moving like a gust of wind and no one could predict where she would land." Liu Chang echoed him.


      Ren Li was usually not strong enough compared to her opponents, and thus she was used to relying on her fighting skill instead of limited stamina and energy. In her previous matches with Lou Cheng, Ren Li regarded Lou Cheng as an opponent at the same stage as her, and thus did not treat him seriously and fought directly against him to gain the upper hand.


      When the host and the special guest were still discussing it, Jiang Kongchan and Lin Que had exchanged lots of movements while continuing to move in the ring, making continuous cracking sounds.


      "But Lin Que can't persist for a long time." Chen Sansheng tut-tutted. "No matter whether he intended to show the white feather in front of Jiang Kongchan and confuse her, he should now change his fighting style, or he will eventually be worn out by Jiang Kongchan."


      That round-faced girl had been fighting in a patient and careful way without any sign of relenting.


      As his voice faded, Jiang Kongchan dodged Lin Que's attack with a sliding step and then flashed to his back, where she shook out her right arm to strike the back of Lin Que's head. Her movement was so quick and fierce that it tore the airflow.


      However, Lin Que did not react to her attack in the usual manner. Instead, he lowered his head and stepped forward with his left foot.


      An opportunity!


      As an experienced warrior, Jiang Kongchan immediately noticed Lin Que's flaw and decided to take advantage of it. Instinctually, she made a forceful explosion in her shoulder and swung her elbow out to punch toward the back of Lin Que's neck within that short distance.


      Lin Que had made such a perfect pose for her, so she could not help but give him a punch!


      At that moment, Lin Que suddenly withdrew his Qi, blood, force, spirit, and all the other senses as he stepped heavily onto the ground. In an instant, all of the protective facets within and outside of his body disappeared!


      Then, without hesitation, he made an explosion in his Dantian and drove all of that force into his neck, making it swell immediately as if a snake had turned into a horrible Chinese dragon!


      Bang!


      Jiang Kongchan felt as if her punch landed on a ball filled with water that could not be broken or bored into at all.


      At that moment, Lin Que suddenly raised his head, straightened his neck, and bounced Jiang Kongchan's fist back, destroying all her intentions to pour more force into it and launch a further attack.


      Meanwhile, he shook his whole body to drive all of his borrowed and initial force into his right foot and then stepped heavily onto the ground.


      The 16th move of the Fighting Sect, Earth Cracking!


      Clang!


      Jiang Kongchan, who was unable to escape in time, felt the ring under her feet shaking. A huge fissure appeared on the ground, which was still expanding and spewing out a horrible force flood. Jiang Kongchan could no longer keep her balance and was about to fall back.


      "Too bad!" Jiang Kongchan said to herself. Daring not to hide her real strength, she immediately drove all her Qi and blood to flow back in order to keep her balance. Then she tightened the muscles in her arm and gave Lin Que a blast punch, making a thunderous sound.


      At this urgent moment, she chose to attack him back instead of defending herself!


      On the other side, Lin Que immediately bounced back and turned around to throw his right arm toward Jiang Kongchan with great force.


      Bang!


      In the echoing, dull thud, Lin Que was unable to resist the Dan-stage explosion of Jiang Kongchan, though he had borrowed some force to block it. It seemed that he was about to take steps backward.


      However, he suddenly shook his muscles and fascia, withdrew his Qi, blood, and spirit and then made a Force Concentration connected with the skill of Yin-yang Twist!


      Boom! Taking half a step forward, Lin Que swung his arm at a high speed and then threw it at his opponent in the exploding sound of airflow.


      "I should hold on for a while and wait for another one of Lin Que's Dan-Stage explosions..." While thinking of it, Jiang Kongchan had no choice but to make the same Force Concentration and drive her left fist with Double Explosion to throw it at Lin Que.


      Bang!


      As the cracking sound became louder, Jiang Kongchan took steps backward, which showed that she was still a little weaker than Lin Que, who had borrowed some strength. Then the girl took the opportunity to bend her back and flashed several meters backward like a gust of wind.


      Of course, Lin Que would not let go of this opportunity. He immediately raised both hands, visualized ancient characters in his mind, and announced in his deep voice,


      "Attainment!"


      While Lin Que's voice was still echoing in the ring, he had already flashed to Jiang Kongchan and stopped in front of her. Then he again withdrew all his Qi, blood, force, spirit, and all the other senses to make a punch as if a dropping meteor finally collided with the earth.


      When he breaks Jiang Kongchan's defense with this attack, his Doomed Death would begin to work!


      Jiang Kongchan had already made a Double Explosion and was now unable to withdraw all the force into his Dantian within a short time. Taking a deep breath, she adjusted all her muscles, fascia, and organs and then visualized the corresponding scene in her mind.


      Crack! She blocked Lin Que's attack with a normal movement.


      Bam!


      As if a bomb suddenly exploded near them, a strong airflow appeared to block Jiang Kongchan's attack. Struggling to pierce into the airflow, Jiang Kongchan narrowly blocked Lin Que's fist.


      Blue tendons and vessels soon appeared in her arm as she was no longer able to resist Lin Que's horrible force. The moment her arm was bounced away, Jiang Kongchan soon lost her stance and began retreating while trembling.


      When Lin Que was about to take a sliding step and punch at the girl with another Doomed Death, he got a sudden feeling of weakness, as if all his energy and stamina were hemorrhaging quickly!


      Is it… the force of the Plague Sect?


      Has she mastered her own force?


      Jiang Kongchan had just reached the Dan Stage two months ago without any supernatural ability. Even if she could have gotten access to a special force, there could not have been enough time for her to master it. In other words, her performance proved that she was not majoring in the Wind Sect and minoring in the Plague Sect. Instead, the Plague Sect was her real major!


      With pupillary constriction in both of his eyes, Lin Que felt that he was tired out and unable to gather strength in his muscles. He could not even take steps forward within a short period.


      Considering his physical abilities, even though he had used up most of his energy and stamina in the previous match, he should still be able to defuse a Plague Sect force like this at the beginning of this round and prevent it from injuring him badly with a single Force Concentration. However, after making three Dan Stage explosions, he was now at his limit and could no longer resist such a horrible force.


      Though he could bear the pain, he was unable to keep fighting while suffering from such a debuff!


      Besides, he could not defuse the effect of Jiang Kongchan's force with Force Concentration for the moment, because he needed to make another Double Explosion to manage it! However, he could no longer make any serial explosions after the previous three Dan Stage explosions.


      When Lin Que was forced to stop, Jiang Kongchan immediately adjusted her body condition with the skill of mercurial balance and soon got her balance back. But she did not use skirmish-fighting this time after stopping her steps. Instead, she bounced forward to flash to Lin Que's side and took the rare opportunity to kick him her right foot.


      When Lin Que narrowly blocked her kick with his leg, Jiang Kongchan again jumped into the air and launched a series of kicks at Lin Que.


      The 27th move of the Ice Sect, Whirlwind!


      Crack, Crack, Crack! Lin Que was too weak to get any chance to make a Force Concentration, and his stance was soon broken by Jiang Kongchan.


      The referee pushed Jiang Kongchan's shoulder down in time to stop her serial kicks and then announced,


      "Third Round. Jiang Kongchan wins!"


      "Well, it seems that Jiang Kongchan actually majors in the Plague Sect. If she had majored in the Wind Sect, Lin Que would have still been able to pull himself through and defeat her with Doomed Death. Plague Sect force, it is really a surprise!" Chen Sansheng sighed. "Now Songcheng University is in danger. Though Jiang Kongchan used up much of her energy, she was still able to make at least one Dan Stage explosion and several explosions with the Plague-Sect force. So it was very difficult for a top Professional-Ninth-Pin fighter to defeat her."


      The ability to use force was a symbol of the Seventh Pin. As long as Jiang Kongchan's physical quality was up to standard, there was a great possibility for her to get a certification of Seventh Pin. As a result, Chen Sansheng did not think Songcheng University was able to be the winner.




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     405 The Final Round
      As Chen Sansheng was sighing with emotion, He Xiaowei wrote a weibo:


      "Still remember what I said? Songcheng's substitutes are too weak to compete with Capital College! Even Homer sometimes nods, so you shouldn't curse me by foretelling my victory just because I make some mistakes occasionally. Now do you believe what I said?"


      "Occasionally…" Someone replied to him with the emoji "smile through tears".


      There was a line of similar comments following his.


      "I'm done. I'll jump out of my balcony after finishing this cigarette…"


      "I'll jump with you!"


      "Wait for me! I won't let you go alone!"


      ...


      An All-knowing Man in Ganghood, who had been silent for a few days, also wrote a weibo:


      "Everyone has his or her ups and downs, and warriors are no exception. Though Ren Li didn't perform well today, the result won't change."


      The implication was that although Lou Cheng defeated Ren Li today, he was actually still not her match because she was not herself today.


      As for whether Ren Li performed well or not, it was easy for him to find enough "evidence" since everyone knew how to look for a bone in an egg.


      If there were still people doubting his conclusion, he would shove the result in their faces!


      For the moment, there was no one in the comments section calling him shameless, because in Lou Cheng's forum, Yan Xiaoling and the other fans of Lou Cheng, who were likely to do that, were all worrying about the fourth and final round.


      "Are we really going to lose the match?" Brahman asked with a "depressed" emoji.


      "I, I, I don't know…" Eternal Nightfall replied with a "crying face". "I'll make a vow! If we beat Capital College today, I'll get up early for one month!"


      "Well, did you skip all the lessons this morning?" Unparalleled Dragon King was surprised.


      Yan Xiaoling replied with a "smiling while feeling tired" emoji. "Thank you, but all of our courses are selective and most of my professional courses in the morning are adjusted to be in the afternoon or evening, except for martial arts lessons! But it is not important! Now I wish you to pray along with me. We will finally beat Capital College!"



      "Why should we do that? It's normal for us to lose the match to Capital College since victory and failure are common to see at martial arts competitions," Road to the Arena added.


      As a fighter who majored in the Wuthering Eight Movements, he always regarded himself as a disciple of Kongtong School, so it was obvious which team he supported.


      "No! Someone told me that once a warrior doesn't care about failing, instead of feeling depressed, the competition will blunt his response to glory and he will no longer get any stronger." Brahman replied with a "beating a wooden drum" emoji. "The same for us fans and supporters. If we are indifferent to their victories and failures, we wouldn't love them any longer."


      "Applause! You make sense." Yan Xiaoling did not know what to say in such a situation. "Come on, make a wish one by one!"


      "If Songcheng University wins tonight, I'll go streaking in the public bathroom!" All Good Names Are Taken By Dogs said.


      Bull Demon King said jokingly, "If Songcheng University wins tonight, I won't date any girls next week."


      "I won't barbecue for half a month!" Unparalleled Dragon King added.


      While everyone was making their wishes, Yan Xiaoling sighed with relief and then @Many Cats:


      "Box, Box. No, dear cat reporter, are you nervous? Do you want to disclose the inside story?"


      Many Cats did not reply in time, for everyone in the seats of Songcheng University Martial Arts Club was focusing on the ring with a serious look. They did not even have time to check their cellphones.


      Lou Cheng followed Yan Zheke in standing up and smiled deliberately.


      "In which way do you want me to cheer you up? I will do everything for you, even if you want me to dance the hula!"


      He tried to diffuse his girlfriend's tension and stress with some jokes.


      Yan Zheke smiled. Taking a deep breath, she encouraged herself.


      "If I win, you must give me a massage tonight until I fall asleep. You can't do anything else!"


      "Okay, no problem. Come on! Seize this opportunity and I'm sure you will win the match!" Lou Cheng promised her without hesitation. Stretching his hand to give the girl five, he grasped the girl's hand secretly.


      "Ah!" Yan Zheke nodded.


      In order to save time, she did not high five Li Mao, Cai Zongming, and the other fellows one at a time. Instead, she turned sideways and waved her fist at them.


      Then she walked toward the ring along the path that Lin Que had just covered.


      ...


      In the seats of Capital College Martial Arts Club, Chen Diguo exhaled like a bellows and then sighed.


      "What a tough battle!"


      If Jiang Kongchan had not mastered the Force of the Plague Sect, she would have lost the match to Lin Que, and the final year of her university martial arts career would have ended in regret.


      Fortunately!


      "Be careful, Kongchan…" standing near Chen Diguo with his arms crossed over his chest, Shen You said to himself with great concern.


      "Chan is always careful." Ren Li was drinking a can of soup called Jiuan, which helped nourish and regulate organs, while keeping her eyes on the ring.


      Chen Diguo nodded. "Yeah, though Chan is childlike and even logy sometimes, she treats everything with great caution and patience. So there is a very fair possibility of her defeating a Professional-Ninth-Pin fighter."


      "Well, you said that Chan was logy." Ren Li got the point without turning her gaze to Chen Diguo.


      When Yan Zheke walked into the ring, all the leading fighters and substitutes of Capital College Martial Arts Club suddenly calmed down as if they all had turned mute for a moment.


      It was the round that would determine success or failure!


      ...


      The audience in the stands also reacted differently to the round since they supported different teams, and the cheering sounds gradually faded down. Ding Yixin was a fan of both teams, so she could not even dare not to look at the ring. Finally, she sat huddled beside Qiu Hailin, burying her face in Qiu Hailin's shoulder.


      "How come you are so nervous?" Qiu Hailin was amused.


      Her heart was also racing uncontrollably, and she did not know whom she was actually worrying about, her mother school or her present schoolmates.


      "Of course I'm nervous. The loser will say goodbye to this place and go back home in regret. No matter how much effort they have put in, even if they have spent most of their youth on martial arts, they will have to accept the cruel reality. How could I feel happy now?" Ding Yixin said sincerely.


      She majored in Chinese in Capital College.


      "You have the heart of an artistic, young person…" Du Yiyi said jokingly, but the great concern in her face gave her away. She also did not want to witness this doomed tragedy.


      ...


      In the broadcasting booth, Liu Chang looked through the stands and seats of each martial arts club along with the camera and then sighed with emotion.


      "The knockout round is always cruel. Only the winner will remain in the ring, and the other teams must go home to improve themselves until next year's competition, but some of them may miss the competition forever."


      "And maybe regret it forever," Chen Sansheng added.


      In order to keep suspense, Liu Chang asked,


      "Sansheng, it there any possibility that Songcheng University will win the match?"


      "Yeah, but there is not a high chance of that, and it still depends on the performance of both teams." Chen Sansheng thought for a while and said, "To be honest, the previous round cost Jiang Kongchan much stamina and energy because of the use of the Plague Sect force. On top of that, she blocked Lin Que's Meteor Blast with great effort and the shock may be still within her body. If her next opponent were Lou Cheng or Lin Que at the pre-Dan Stage, Songcheng would be likely to win the competition, considering their previous competition with the tired-out Wei Shengtian and Zhou Zhengquan. However, her next opponent is Yan Zheke, who is much weaker than they are…"


      He suddenly stopped since the program director again changed the scene to the seats of both martial arts clubs. He saw Lou Cheng, Ren Li, Lin Que, and Chen Diguo all stand up, hold their substitutes' hands, and turn their gazes to the ring. They were actually praying while cheering for their teammates, telling them they were always standing hand in hand!


      The atmosphere in the gymnasium suddenly turned serious and tense.


      "Sigh, let's enjoy the last performance of Songcheng University or Capital College in the National Competition," Liu Chang said.


      In the ring, Yan Zheke had already lowered her center of gravity and made a stance in front of Jiang Kongchan.


      On the other side, Jiang Kongchan was still adjusting her breath. Her pale face and black lips showed that she had suffered a lot from the match with Lin Que.


      Taking a glance at the girls, the referee raised his right hand and announced,


      "Start!"


      Round four started!


      The last match of Songcheng University or Capital College began!


      Swinging her center of gravity forward, Jiang Kongchan flashed towards Yan Zheke with wind-like footwork.


      She intended to attack at the first opportunity and chase Yan Zheke with her Wind Step. When she found the flaw of Yan Zheke's defense, she would suppress her opponent with Whirlwind and the other moves, forcing Yan Zheke to block her Weaken Force directly. She was also saving some strength at the same time in preparation for another Force Concentration to avoid anything unexpected.


      Instead of standing still, Yan Zheke jumped backwards lightly like an antelope, trying to fight a running battle with Jiang Kongchan.


      In the audience's eyes, the chasing and running figures were actually dancing around the ring. As time went by, Jiang Kongchang, who had the upper hand in every aspect, began changing her direction constantly with mercurial balance and gradually narrowed the gap between herself and Yan Zheke.


      Finally, she targeted and approached Yan Zheke after turning abruptly like a ghost and then kicked her tightened legs out.


      At that moment, she saw the beautiful girl raise her hands to make a gesture that she was familiar with!


      "It's impossible!" While Jiang Kongchan was still doubting what she had seen, she heard a low but dulcet voice say,


      "Army!"


      Nine Words Formula, Army Formula!


      Now that Li Que was able to learn the Xing Formula, why did Yan Zheke not know the Nine Words Formula?


      She had not only learned the Attainment Formula, but also the Swordsman and Army Formulas!


      In order to help his girlfriend, Lou Cheng even begged his master to borrow the original rubbings of the Army and Zhe Formulas instead of using his own copy!


      In order to make the most of the Nine Words Formula, Yan Zheke, who had not appeared in the ring in the previous matches, had kept that word in her mouth until Jiang Kongchan approached her. If she had used the formula from a long distance, Jiang Kongchan might have recovered quickly with her tough willingness, and thus Yan Zheke would not have gotten the chance to launch an attack!


      "Army!"


      Yan Zheke's spirit began invading Jiang Kongchan's mind like hundreds and thousands of blades, and she immediately suffered from a nervous breakdown and was about to cry and beg her to stop.


      Now was the time!


      Yan Zheke visualized a dropping meteor in her mind to gather the Qi within her body, then she swung her right arm quickly to punch at Jiang Kongchan.


      The move of the Fighting Sect, Meteor Force!


      Though Yan Zheke could not advance to the Dan Stage, she could make herself be at the top of Professional Ninth Pin. Now that her brother could master the Meteor Force before he reached the Dan Stage, she could do that as well!


      She had not wasted a second over the past few months!


      Bang!


      Her punch triggered a fierce gust of wind.


      Jiang Kongchan raised her arm to protect herself as soon as she had sobered up. Then she began preparing for another Force Concentration to remove all of the hidden danger.


      Bam!


      As if being hit directly by the blast wave, Jiang Kongchan felt like the remaining shock in her body was activated and her Qi, blood, and all her organs began burning. Her groaning mind stopped her from gathering all her force to make another attack.


      Yan Zheke shook her left arm and threw it toward her opponent, which stopped near Jiang Kongchan's throat.


      The referee was stunned for a while and then raised his right hand to announce,


      "Round four, Yan Zheke wins!"


      "The final result, Songcheng University Martial Arts Club wins!"


      Yan Zheke sighed with relief upon hearing the referee's words. If she had failed to defeat Jiang Kongchan with that attack just now, Songcheng would now be the losers!


      Then a sudden joy overpowered her, making her turn around and wave her fist at all her teammates, who were still stunned.


      "Victory!"


      The whole gymnasium was silent.




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     406 This World Changes Too Quickly
      "Round four, Yan Zheke wins!"


      "The final result, Songcheng University Martial Arts Club wins!"


      As the judge's voice unfurled, with the exception of Lou Cheng and Lin Que, who were prepared, Cai Zongming, Li Mao, and others who were sitting in the seats of the Song Cheng University Martial Arts Club, were full of bewilderment in response to Yan Zheke's victory. They were dumbfounded and felt it hard to believe that that she'd won.


      In their minds, even if Yan Zheke was able to defeat Jiang Kongchan, it was bound to be a bitter struggle. It should have been a long and drawn out affair, how could it be that it had been that easy and that simple?


      This sudden but pleasant surprise took them aback and caused them to not properly have time to bask in the joy of the victory.


      The crowd, watching from the grandstands, were the exact same as them; they'd forgotten to shout, clap, and cheer. Everything was silent.


      This isn't how it should be!


      Didn't Jiang Kongchan clearly have superior strength?


      How is it that she could lose just like that?


      She clearly and definitively lost, without any kind of resistance!


      Hold on, Songcheng University's Yan Zheke unexpectedly could also use the Nine Words Sound!


      She was their secret weapon!


      During the live broadcast, Chen Sansheng was speechless for a dozen or so seconds, then blurted out,


      "Army Formula? Yan Zheke has also been trained in the Nine Words Sound?"


      "Right, how it is that seemingly every member of Song Cheng University Martial Arts Club possesses this secret discipline... " The presenter, Liu Chang, still was in a state of shock.


      Similar grades and levels of the Nine Words Sound secret discipline are all highly valued, regardless of their faction, group, or clique. Wouldn't disciples who lacked the basic foundation and other essentials not be able to receive that kind of instruction?



      Is Songcheng University Martial Arts Club marching on into a kind of communism?


      Chen Sansheng finally breathed in and, still not understanding, said, "As we mentioned before, Capital takes place in the rear gardens of Kongtong. In that case, what can this mean for Songcheng University?"


      "I don't know either... " said Liu Chang as he stretched his hands. He was at a loss at how to process the dramatic finish of this competition. Other than astonishment, it was like he couldn't feel anything at all.


      In the Capital College Martial Arts Club seating section, Chen Diguo also had a similar feeling. He sat there in a daze and gazed at the arena, seeing the empty spot where Jiang Kongchan had once been and Yan Zheke was jumping for joy, excitedly pumping her fist.


      All of the color faded from his vision, and the two figures seemed as if they'd become characters from a black and white silent movie, like a distant fantasy.


      ...


      "She won? Just like that, she won?" in Lou Cheng's fan forum, Eternal Nightfall Yan Xiaoling posted, stupefied.


      "It's not that I don't understand, it's that this world changes too quickly!"


      "That's not true... " Brahman said, also perplexed.


      Being too surprised all at once could actually lead to no emotion at all.


      Just now, Many Cats had popped up, and she replied to Yan Xiaoling with a despising emoji.


      "You think I'm nervous? Back then I almost couldn't help from laughing!"


      Spoken to like this, Yan Xiaoling momentarily searched for the correct feeling, then replied honestly, speedily typing at the keyboard.


      "Hahaha, I should have thought of it sooner. Hahaha, Lin Que had already been trained in the Attainment Formula, and due to Sister Yan's relationship with Lou Cheng, how could she not have been trained in it? Hahaha, I'm so stupid and was blinded by my nervousness! Hahaha, this is great. Starting tomorrow, I'll be getting up early!"


      "Not bad. It looks like making a vow still has some effect. I'm also formally making a vow of chastity for a week. Yesterday my girlfriend went on a business trip for ten days!" Bull Demon King said comically.


      Unparalleled Dragon King said, "Yan Zheke took a big risk just then! She waited for Jiang Kongshan to lean in close and then use the Army Formula. If she had been nervous and been slow by half a beat, then she'd have been kicked by her opponent and there'd have been no time to use the secret discipline… "


      He was still reflecting on the battle that had just occurred and felt that the way in which Yan Zheke had executed the Army Formula move seemed a bit familiar. Her arms had shaken with great speed and her fists shot out like comets, causing the muscles in Jiang Kongshan's body to tremble. He felt it was exactly the same as Lin Que's!


      "Haha, don't mind all of these details! Quick, Unparalleled Dragon King, throw away your barbeque! Also, also, that streaking guy, get running!" Yan Xiaoling excitedly blabbered.


      "Allow me to finish eating this last piece of kidney, then I can begin fasting." Unparalleled Dragon King replied, covering his face and sighing.


      Yan Xiaoling didn't pay any attention and obliviously continued,


      "Hahaha, I think we're all going to be pretty busy for a while. We're going to have to moderate all the spam posts and watch out for all the haters. If there's any negative stuff out there, we'll have to make up for it with our own posts praising Songcheng University and Lou Cheng so that they don't jinx them! Very busy, very busy indeed!"


      Just then, under the Weibo article, a comment by Superstitious Belief is Bad popped up like a weed,


      "I must confess that I'm suspecting that Master He may have jinxed them. I apologize… "


      "I'll take three sticks of incense and pray to Master He for a week, and then another, and another after that. My dear Lord He, your wish is my command. Anything to reverse some of my bad karma!"


      "Master He, I beg you, please insult me! Quick, say that I'm worthless, that I spend every day playing games and watching competitions, how can I possibly pass my tests?"


      "Hey, all of you cocky S.O.B.s, you can be next!"


      "You're… shouting… too… slowly… "


      ...


      Compared to He Xiaowei's humor, An All-knowing Man in Ganghood leaned towards a different style.


      Using a dancing emoji, Eternal Nightfall said, "Hahaha, hahaha, I'll just laugh. I have nothing to say."


      "Damn, you're too much!" Wonton Seller replied, using a cat emoji.


      Brahman001 replied with her mouth wide open, "Lou Cheng's fan circle has started to migrate."


      "Songcheng University's fan circle is following closely behind."


      "Push, push, don't line up with the rest of the travelers."


      Seeing all of this, the veins popped in An All-knowing Man in Ganghood's forehead. His fingers slid down and he deleted the previous few Weibo posts that he had made. He then shut down his computer, put his phone on silent, logged out of the app, and tried to keep as far away as possible from all electronic devices.


      Everybody thinks themself a hero until the wind starts blowing!


      ...


      Atop the arena, Jiang Kongchan shook hands with the excited Yan Zheke, then she turned and ran back towards the seating area to share her joy with Lou Cheng.


      Although she was telling herself she always needed to be reserved and ladylike, she couldn't help but have a little pep in her step.


      Suddenly, she heard the silence of the arena start to break. One voice after another started to converge and come together until the sound of it reached her ears.


      "Yan Zheke! Yan Zheke!"


      She subconsciously slowed down and looked all around her, bewildered. This was her first victory against a major opponent in a key match, and the first time that she had received such intense acclaim.


      The crowd had regained their vitality. Naturally, they were quite excited to see an underdog take the victory. Not only that, but Yan Zheke was also an extremely pretty and feminine girl.


      "Yan Zheke! Yan Zheke!"


      The rallying cries came in great waves. Hearing it made her spirits soar, and her entire body from top to bottom brimmed with happiness.


      She raised both of her hands above her head and waved in all directions. She then quickened her step and rushed towards the Song Cheng University Martial Arts Club seating area. She couldn't wait to share everything with her little Cheng.


      Lou Cheng and the others used their hands to pull each other. It was as if they were enveloped in a surging wave that obscured Yan Zheke's line of sight. Lou Cheng was extremely excited, and it was evident in his expression. Lin Que was a bit stiff; it was obvious that he was not used to being in such close contact with others, but the corner of his mouth was still raised in a slight grin.


      Forgetting herself for a moment, Yan Zheke stepped across and hugged Lou Cheng tightly. Her mind then cleared and she blushed shyly as she bumped fists one by one with Lin Que, Cai Zongming, and Li Mao.


      "Victory!"


      "Victory!"


      ...


      They smiled from ear to ear and it was if they'd forgotten any other words. All they could do was repeat that one word over and over: "Victory!"


      Yes, we've won, and we can go on to win the Capital!


      Yes, we've won, we're going to the finals!


      Seeing the excited figure of Yan Zheke as well as the revelry of all the members in the Songcheng University crowd, Jiang Kongchan was frustrated and disappointed at her loss. Her mind was empty and barren, as if her soul had been lost. There was nothing inside, and all she could feel was a dull pain that seemed to flow within her.


      Yan Zheke hadn't merely grasped the Army Formula, she'd also trained in the Meteor Force of the Fighting Sect!


      Both of these were two sides of the same coin. Her own Force Concentration should have been sufficient to guard against any accidents. Who knows, it seemed things always tend towards the worst.


      Jiang Kongchan breathed in and puffed out her cheeks in order to control her desire to break out in tears.


      By then she had gotten rid of most of her heartache and returned to the Capital College Martial Arts Club seating area. Ren Li had already come to welcome her, reaching out with both hands to hug her.


      Smelling the dull scent of orchids and feeling her sister's embrace, Jiang Kongchan was unable to control herself. She buried her face in Ren Li's shoulder and tears flowed from her swollen eyes.


      "I'm sorry, Sister, I'm sorry… " she sobbed, choking with tears.


      "It's fine, it's fine." Ren Li stared ahead, patting her back.


      "I… I… Brother Chen's last year… " Jiang Kongchan was unable to continue through her cries.


      Beside her, Chen Diguo heard this and, not wanting to dwell on any unpleasant things, wished to console her with a few words to show that he was able to accept it. However, no words came out and he sadly was unable to say anything.


      He turned his head to look at Ren Li and saw that her large, cartoon-like eyes were glistening with a layer of moisture. The pain and loss was obvious.


      Even acting as the favored fighter of the age, it was hard to make up for this loss… these words rang true in Chen Diguo's heart. He signed inwardly to himself and walked towards the Capital College Martial Arts Club supporters and looked at them. He raised both of his hands high and moved them horizontally before lightly clasping them together, bidding his final farewell.


      Not knowing who should start, these supporters were the same as they'd always been, and they shouted out his name,


      "Chen Diguo! Chen Diguo!"


      With this familiar scene and familiar cheer, Chen Diguo forgot the old adage that men should shed blood, not tears. The edges of his eyes glistened and his nose became stuffy, but he persisted in accomplishing his farewell.


      "I'm sorry, I couldn't make everyone a champion… "


      "I'm sorry, I'm again unable to win this championship… "


      Seeing the regret in his far away figure, and seeing how his heart was aching, the crowd chanted loudly all around him,


      "Chen Diguo, Chen Diguo… "


      Beside him, Qiu Hailin and Du Yiyi also were struck by sadness and began to cry.


      Happiness and revelry, perhaps it all can be mixed together amidst the noise and clamor, but heartache is forever etched in one's memory.


      Goodbye, Capital.


      Goodbye, Chen Diguo.


      ...


      In the dusky light of the locker room, the tightly closed doors were suddenly opened, and a youthful-looking student, before entering, shouted in a loud voice,


      "Songcheng University has won!"


      "Songcheng University is going to the finals!"


      Following his words, dazzling bursts of light from outside filled the entire room with light. One clean and collected youth was awakened from his almost meditative state.


      "Songcheng University?" he said in a low voice.




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     407 Enveloped in Excitemen
      Fireworks will burn out, and sadness will disperse. Excitement and happiness are much the same, and a few minutes later, Lou Cheng, Yan Zheke, and the others headed back to the locker room. Ren Li and Chen Diguo dejectedly went back. Only a few whoops remained of the crowd's previous cheering and screaming. The workers seized the moment to clean up the stadium, lifting up the green bricks and once again making the arena's surface clean and smooth.


      After a bit of bustling around, the final curtain had been pulled on the second round of the semi-finals: Shanbei versus Guangnan.


      Under this enormous pressure, Zhen Huansheng exhibited his greatest level of strength and discovered that he had surpassed his previous decline in energy. Unfortunately, he encountered an opponent called Peng Leyun who had been fighting for a long time, so he was as helpless as before and was defeated. Peng Leyun persisted and, by risking it all for victory, defeated another opponent before voluntarily leaving the arena, setting aside Li Xiaoyuan for Fang Zhirong.


      The disparity between the two of their reputations had been quite close. One faible Seventh Pin and one expectant Seventh Pin. In the intense fight, Fang Zhirong leaned on his present strength to oppose the opposition's traditional ways. By hedging his bets and storing his strength, he guaranteed the end of the match and found his way to victory.


      This was the third time in three years that Shanbei had charged into the National University Martial Arts Competitions finals match. Further, they had twice before managed to snag the championship!


      Sometimes it wasn't that you weren't strong or not trying hard enough, it simply was that your opponent was stronger than you and was also trying hard!


      In this competition, there were some special individuals amongst the crowd that didn't seem as excited as the others and didn't throw themselves into it like everyone else. Examining the fight closely were observers of the Haiyuan Club. They were considering whether Li Xiaoyuan and Fang Zhirong were worth bringing into the fold and the prices they were willing to pay.


      Peng Leyun, Ren Li, Lou Cheng, Lin Que, Ann Chaoyang, and Zhen Huansheng had already been claimed, and at the moment, there were very few members that had the power of Li Xiaoyuan and Fang Zhirong who could attract attention!


      After the splendid battle, the observers felt they had seen everything they needed to see and left the martial arts arena of the Capital City thoughtfully.



      In the live broadcast, the host, Liu Chang, was doing a "wrap-up speech".


      "The two rounds of the semi-finals really exceeded the normal level of excitement, just splendid. Even after looking forward to this for so long, it didn't in the least disappoint anyone, particularly the match between Songcheng University and Capital. Worries, complications, unexpected occurrences, small probabilities and all sorts of other elements; they were all there. This is definitely one for the University Martial Arts history books. We'd like to congratulate Peng Leyun, Lou Cheng, Lin Que, and the others. Congratulations to them for entering the finals. They've all come from the same division, and they'll once again meet in the finale.


      "Also, I'd like to express my blessings and thanks to Chen Diguo, Ann Chaoyang, Zhen Huansheng, and their other classmates who are on the verge of leaving our University Martial Arts circle. Thank you to them for their four years of devotion towards this brilliant arena, and best wishes to them. May their new journeys in life only get better and better.


      "I've spoken this long, I'm starting to repeat myself. Let's look forward to two days from now, where the winner amongst the two strongest teams in the University Martial Arts Club will be decided. Let's see who will be able to grasp the highest honor!


      "The evening of April 25th, same time, old friends. See you there!"


      After he finished speaking, the broadcast switched to the currently dilapidated arena with the crisp sounds of clapping in the background, and two lines of text popped up.


      "April 25th at 7:40 PM, the National University Martial Arts Competition Final Match:"


      "Shanbei University Martial Arts Club VS Songcheng University Martial Arts Club!"


      One year of effort comes to a close!


      ...


      On the bus back to the hotel, Lou Cheng and the others still didn't feel like they'd entered the finals. They were still soaking in the happiness of their narrow victory at the Capital.


      Yes, narrow victory! If Yan Zheke had been forced to use her secret moves too early, then the previously prepared Jiang Kongchan absolutely would not have taken the bait that easily and she'd have trapped her in a "consecutive moves" trap. There would have been more than a 70% chance that she'd have won!


      If there is certain victory against a faible fighter, then happiness won't last for long because it's regarded as inevitable. However, if you go through hell, rack your brain, and use every ounce of your strength to overcome a strong opponent, then the excitement and happiness afterwards will remain for quite some time, to the point where a few days, dozen days, even a few hundred days afterwards, you'll occasionally recall the event with a certain fondness.


      Yan Zheke currently resided in this state. She was obviously excited, and if it wasn't for Geezer Shi forbidding celebrations and staying up all night in order for them to keep their minds on the finals, she'd surely go out and celebrate with everyone.


      Watching his girlfriend turn into a little "chatterbox", Lou Cheng chuckled and said quietly,


      "Should we wait a while and sneak out to have a little date, eat some food?"


      He actually would rather go back to the hotel and move on to a massage and whisper sweet nothings to one another, but seeing how happy little Ke was, it was obvious that she was hoping to do other activities to allow her soaring spirits from the previous competition to continue floating high for a while longer.


      "That's not good... " Yan Zheke stared out of the bus window at the brightly lit streets.


      Although she said this, her eyes were filled with eagerness.


      Sigh... don't blame me, it's that Cheng is always seducing me to do bad things!


      "What are you scared of? My master is actually a big softie at heart. As long as it's not everybody going out, he'll surely look in the other direction." Lou Cheng snickered, his mouth moving close to the girls ear out of fear that behind them, Shi Jianguo would hear them talking.


      Yan Zheke's ears were extremely sensitive, and just the slight caress of air caused them to become a tender pink, which was very attractive.


      She leaned her head, turned her eyes, and with an embarrassed face said,


      "Since you've invited me so earnestly, then I'll have to think about where we should go and what we should eat."


      While she was talking, the bus stopped at the entrance of the hotel, and everyone got off the bus in succession. Geezer Shi was the first to enter the lobby and headed towards the elevator, seeming to be in a hurry.


      Damn, he'd been so excited that he'd drunk all the alcohol he'd brought with him!


      Just then, out of the corner of her eye, Yan Zheke saw that there were a couple of shared bikes parked by the road. Her heart jumped, and she blurted out a proposal.


      "Cheng, should we take a bicycle and ride it to the capital? We've been here for so long but still haven't gone out for a stroll."


      Seeing the brightness in her eyes, he couldn't imagine anything more beautiful. Without the slightest bit of hesitation, Lou Cheng was about to respond, but Yan Zheke had already furrowed her brow and changed her mind, "No, you're in the midst the Plague Sect, so your body still has a void. We can't ride this kind of bicycle... "


      She actually wasn't very tired. Due to the speed of her victory, she hadn't used up much energy. All she'd used was the Army Formula along with Meteor Force, and that had been her full set of moves and evasions. Therefore, she still had energy to spare and wasn't the least bit exhausted.


      "It's fine, I recuperated earlier and got rid of all the negative influences before. Actually, back then, Ren Li and I hadn't reached our limits." Lou Cheng voluntarily consoled.


      His own spirit still hadn't been used up, and as for his strength, he had the Jindan to help replenish it, so he had even less of a problem. At the moment, the worst that could be said was that he felt he felt like he was floating slightly, like his roots weren't too stable.


      "No, no!" Yan Zheke shook her head with concern and pursed her lips. She was deep in thought, trying to come up with a method that would be the best of both worlds.


      Suddenly, her dimples appeared as she smiled and said sweetly, "How about this: I'll ride the bicycle and escort you to the Capital? Before, you carried me on your back, so this time allow me!"


      "Uh... " Lou Cheng went blank for a moment, and then with great interest replied, "Alright!"


      He wasn't worried that Ke wouldn't have the strength to carry his greater body weight. She had practiced the Swordsman Formula and her Qi and Blood was vigorous. She was at a peak Professional Ninth Pin level. He'd wait for her to get tired, then he could take over, but first he'd let her fulfill her strange fantasy!


      "Wow, decided so quickly." Yan Zheke raised her chin adorably.


      However, her tone lowered, and she again furrowed her brow.


      "A shared bike doesn't have a back seat... "


      How could I carry someone with this? There is only a small frame in the front for storing things, so how could I find a place to put a Cheng this large?


      "This is definitely a problem..." the thought of Lou Cheng passed through her mind as she pondered on how to find a solution.


      In this moment, Classmate Little Ming happened to come over and said slyly,


      "Do the two of you need a bike with a back seat?"


      "You heard?" Lou Cheng blurted out in response. "Wait, wait, shouldn't you have already gone into the hotel?"


      The same as the others!


      "I'm waiting for Fang Yuan." Cai Zongming said with a sly expression, "You both were talking so loudly, I heard it from over five meters away. You need to consider our friendship and banter, of course I had to come over and offer assistance!"


      Lou Cheng got his meaning. Pleasantly surprised, he asked, "You've got a solution?"


      "Of course. My good friend Fang Yuan's school is quite far from here, so every time she comes here, she rides a bike, and it has a back seat." Cai Zongming smiled. "Tell me, how should you thank me?"


      "I won't be mean to you for three days?" Lou Cheng tentatively replied.


      "You ass, how is this thanking me? How about this: later on, you teach me the Nine Words Formula movements and pronunciation. It's not that you'll be giving private lessons, rather it's just that you'll be correcting my form that I've studied on my own," Classmate Little Ming said shamelessly.


      "If it's merely the movements and the pronunciation, then there's no definite visualization, and there's no point!" Lou Cheng responded with bewilderment.


      "I've got the wits of our ancient ancestors." Cai Zongming replied, immensely proud of himself.


      Lou Cheng suddenly realized something and laughed. "Have you heard of the story about the wolf coming?"


      "There's no need for you to worry." Cai Zongming laughed.


      After it'd been settled, he headed outside to meet Fang Yuan. Yan Zheke pursed her lips and, while keeping back a smile, said, "Cheng, I'm suddenly starting to look forward to your banter."


      "Mmm, when you're this skilled, you'll accidently stumble upon all sorts of gems. If you try too hard, you won't be able to come up with anything nearly as good." Lou Cheng pretended to answer with utter seriousness, once again teasing her.


      Not even a few minutes later, Fang Yuan came in wearing dark clothing to let them borrow the bicycle.


      After a short chat, the two of them pushed the bike to the curb. Yan Zheke flipped her wrist to look at her watch.


      "We don't have too much time, we'll just ride to a place that's close."


      "Okay! Whatever Coach Yan says, we do! Wherever we ride, that's where we go!" Lou Cheng snickered.


      Yan Zheke rolled her eyes at him and arranged the frame. She patted the back seat, full of smiles.


      "Come on, Sister's going to take you out to play."


      "Feels like you're kidnapping me... " Lou Cheng laughed slightly as he sat down on the seat and grasped towards the support frame.


      "Let's go!" Yan Zheke said excitedly, her tone rising.


      Her feet pressed down on the pedals as she carried Lou Cheng, shakily riding towards the other side of the road.


      After waiting for her riding to become steadier, Lou Cheng lifted up both of his hands and put them around the front of her soft and slim waist. At the same time, he brought his upper body closer, breathing in the scent of her perfume.


      It was the first time that Yan Zheke had escorted someone and the first time that she'd been held this way. Her body stiffened for a moment and the bikes trajectory wobbled slightly.


      "Careful, careful!" Lou Cheng quickly adjusted his muscles and center of balance to help them become steady.


      "Don't wander off with your hands!" Yan Zheke protested playfully.


      "My hands aren't moving... "


      "Keep them there, they're not allowed to wander off!"


      ...


      Their voices gradually got farther away, and their two figures remained on the roadside as the bike once again became steady. In this moment, the sky was profoundly dark and the lights all around them were like rainbows.




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     408 Speak of the Devil and He Doth Appear
      In the nighttime of the Capital, there was a street that was even livelier than the hustle and bustle of the daytime. Every kind of vehicle was parked there, shops were sporadically open, there were plenty of tranquil alleyways, and in the darkness there were also old city walls and official residences.


      Lou Cheng sat on the back seat, his eyes floating towards Yan Zheke's rolling hair lingering on the end of her nose and her beautiful fragrance. In his hands he could feel her soft, flexible, and slim waist. The cold wind swept by his ears along with her crisp and clear voice. He would gladly be carried by her through the clamor and frenzy of the city, through the light and through the dark, through ancient history and the present day. Heaven and earth and everything in between seemed like it had faded into the background. All that remained was this bicycle and the two people on it, leaning against one another. No matter where they rode to, they had no fear.


      Basking in this beautiful feeling, the two of them would stop to take photos from time to time and lazily chat about their lucky victory before at the semi-finals, how painful it must feel to be eliminated at the Capital, and how difficult it would be to fight against Shanbei and their expectations of that fight. Talking and talking, topics came and went like rumors in the night. Two lines of trees at the side of the road swayed in the wind as they spoke about their dreams, their shared future, and how they would keep in contact while they were abroad in a year's time. They were confident that together they could overcome the trial of distance and time, that their hands would never part, and they would remain together until they were old and grey.


      With the optimism of youth, they quickly took the topic of their early separation and put it in the back of their minds, instead planning on where they would go travelling during the May holidays. It was almost a pity that they'd entered the finals, as they would have to miss the ranking event.


      In Lou Cheng's opinion, he didn't care if they did or didn't join. He believed he could still improve himself. In about a year's times perhaps he could enter the Inhuman state and go straight to a Fifth Pin. At the moment, he didn't need a Sixth Pin qualification to prove his abilities or level, so he could use this as a stepping stone to enter professional competitions or be a security guard for rich and powerful individuals.


      This was opposed to Yan Zheke, who was congenitally deficient and had no path to the Dan Stage. Her aspiration was to receive a Professional Ninth Pin certification. Next October she would have some opportunities. When the time came, one possible opportunity would be to become one of the top two names in the division and enter the group phase of the ranks at Songcheng University. There would be no need to join the first few rounds of the knockout and there would be no conflict in the ranking event. The second would be that the substitutes would have grown up and they would have to find time to join the ranking event so they wouldn't be any influence there.



      Yan Zheke rode the bike under the bright lights and through the gentle wind, escorting Lou Cheng and returning to the entrance of the hotel. Her face was full of cheer and she appeared quite happy.


      Ebbing and flowing, leaving and returning, and along the entire way there was her lover who would be with her for the rest of her life. All of this beauty had caused her to feel a kind of intoxication.


      "What room is Talker in? We need to give the keys back to him." Yan Zheke locked up the bike.


      At this moment, Lou Cheng saw that her shoelaces were undone, so he bent down and helped her tie them as he laughed. "Do you want to go and knock on his door?"


      "Not me, you." Yan Zheke lowered her head, her lips twisting into a smile, seeming like a little girl as she watched her boyfriend tie the loop.


      "I can't either! God knows what those two are doing right now. If I go knock, won't I be ruining their good time?" Lou Cheng responded with a snicker.


      "You've got such a dirty mind! You think everyone's the same as you and loves to get fresh?" Yan Zheke shot back.


      "This is dirty? When a boyfriend and girlfriend are together that long, this is a normal thing. Also, what if he and Fang Yuan also went out on a date?" Lou Cheng fastened the shoelaces, then stood up and added, "I'll give Talker a call first to see if he's actually in his room and if he's doing anything. Afterwards, I can take the keys and give them back as insurance!"


      "Don't... " Yan Zheke suddenly stopped, and the corners of her mouth shrank.


      "Why?" Lou Cheng responded as he took out his phone, bewildered.


      Yan Zheke looked at him as if he were stupid and said, "You just said you didn't want to ruin their good time, have you already forgotten?"


      "It's just a phone call, I... " Suddenly, it was all clear to Lou Cheng, and he tittered, "So you understand?"


      Yan Zheke turned her head and looked to the side, saying, "I've read enough romantic novels and seen enough soap operas. The leading actor is always about to seal the deal and on the verge of the critical moment when inevitably his phone will go off and he'll be really depressed... "


      As she spoke, her voice lowered two octaves, as if this was an attractive image in her mind.


      Since she didn't have enough time, she would very rarely read romance novels or watch soap operas. Usually she'd have to depend on Li Liantong to tell her all about the latest developments and crazes.


      "Right, totally depressed." Lou Cheng repeated, "Then I'll send Talker a text."


      Actually, according to what I know about Classmate Little Ming, he's someone with rich experience and history when it comes to the sexual realm. If it's close to the critical moment, he'll definitely shut off his phone and pull out the room's phone cord. If that's the case, I'll have to go up and knock like I proposed before.


      Otherwise, how could he be called "Casanova:?


      "Mmm." Yan Zheke nodded her head up and down.


      Lou Cheng quickly pressed down on the keyboard and sent Cai Zongming a message with an evil laugh,


      "Anybody there? If there's no one there, then I'll come knock on your door!"


      A period of time passed, and no one responded. Lou Cheng put away his phone, smiling, and looked at Yan Zheke with his hands outstretched.


      "Was I right or what?"


      "Hmmph!" Yan Zheke stared straight at him but said, "Then I'll give you the keys. Whenever he responds to your message, you can give them back to him. If he's fallen asleep, then you can give them back tomorrow morning."


      While talking, she handed over the keys to Lou Cheng, and afterwards looked down at her body, pinching her calves and stomach and smiling. "I've carried you this long, it's time for you to give me a massage so I can relax!"


      Before, when they werecycling on their nighttime date in the Capital, there were several times when she had refused when Lou Cheng asked to switch places. They'd attracted the attention of many curious onlookers on the side of the road as she escorted her boyfriend for the entire trip.


      "Okay!" Lou Cheng was also very much looking forward to this.


      Hearing his response, Yan Zheke didn't know what to think. Her face suddenly went pink and she reluctantly said, "You should pass by me. Tonight you can't get handsy or take advantage!"


      "If I can't get handsy, then how can I give you a massage?" Lou Cheng laughed lightly.


      "You know what I mean!" Yan Zheke started at him, half angry and half amused.


      Under the reflection of the lights, the look on her face shook him to the core.


      "Alright, alright, alright, I won't get fresh," Lou Cheng said as he pulled little Ke into the elevator.


      Hehe, if I can't move my hands, I can move other things. I'll say it again, how is it that you can call this taking advantage when it's between boyfriend and girlfriend?


      "Cheng, why is it that there's something weird about your smile... " Yan Zheke eyed her boyfriend suspiciously.


      "What's weird about it? Just look at how normal my face is!" Lou Cheng pointed to his forehead.


      Talking and laughing vivaciously, they arrived at their floor and stopped at Yan Zheke's door. Not knowing what to do, the two of them went quiet at the same time. The atmosphere subtly changed, and in the dusky lighting, there was an inward change in the both of them.


      "I... I'll open the door." Yan Zheke didn't understand why she had blurted out such nonsense.


      Lou Cheng was about to say something when his phone violently vibrated in his pants pocket, shattering the previous atmosphere. Yan Zheke didn't know what to think, then covered her mouth and laughed, shaking like a leaf.


      Helplessly taking out his phone to have a look and discovering that it was Mom and Qi Fang's number, Lou Cheng even more hopelessly decided to answer.


      Yan Zheke didn't swipe her card and with her back towards the room door, groaned with laughter as she looked at her boyfriend.


      "Hello, Cheng, are you okay? I heard that you got hit by some kungfu from the Plague Sect, a really terrible kind," Qi Fang immediately asked.


      She and Lou Zhisheng were always following the international competitions. After the previous match had finished, she'd called out of concern for her son, but it was when Lou Cheng was outside for his midnight snack celebration. The surroundings were too noisy, so they'd rescheduled to around 10 o'clock.


      "I'm fine, it only affected me for a short time. My body is doing great. Just listen to my voice, Mom, doesn't it sound fine?" Lou Cheng consoled her.


      "That's good, that's good." Qi Fang laughed. "Then I have to commend you, I'm a bit embarrassed. You know your father, he's gone and opened another bottle of alcohol... "


      Talking up until now, she suddenly felt something wasn't right, "... Is it that your dad is looking for an excuse to drink?"


      "Very smart, Mom!" Lou Cheng sold out his father, Lou Zhisheng, without the least bit of shame.


      Qi Fang rambled on for a bit, then carelessly mentioned, "That girl in your Martial Arts Club... Yan Zheke. Right, Yan Zheke. Isn't she also from Xiushan No.1 Middle School? I seem to remember running into her at your school once or twice before."


      "Uh...Mom unexpectedly was the first to mention Keke..." Lou Cheng winked at Yan Zheke and replied to Qi Fang with a laugh, "Yeah, she was in the classroom next to ours. Both of us were admitted to Songcheng University."


      It was truly meant to be! Mom, your daughter-in-law has arrived!


      "I knew it! Your father didn't believe me. When you were in the Youth Tournament before, I also saw her." Qi Fang spoke as if she'd discovered a truth.


      After talking for a little while longer about Yan Zheke, she finally hung up and Lou Cheng looked towards his girlfriend with a smile. "It seems that my mom is keeping an eye on you. What do you think, is she suspicious of our relationship?"


      During the competition, when Keke had used the Army Formula that even Lin Que didn't fully grasp... While they were celebrating, the arena was a bit chaotic and they'd only given each other an ordinary hug, but the feelings between him and Keke were still rather special...


      "Hmph, are you scared that your mom will find out?" Yan Zheke wrinkled her nose.


      "It's not that I'm scared. I'd take you to see my parents any time," Lou Cheng said as he laughed.


      Yan Zheke raised her eyebrows when she heard this and her eyes softened. She turned around, swiped her card, and entered her room.


      "You need to give me a good massage... "


      She hadn't finished speaking when she abruptly paused, turning back to look at Lou Cheng as she said,


      "Cheng, if your mom is suspicious, then will my dad... "


      Yes, up until now, Dad still hasn't called to congratulate me. It wasn't like this with previous competitions!




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     409 Put On A Good Show
      Lou Cheng thought for a moment and arrived at a grim conclusion.  "I think it's possible…"


      My mother must have noticed something, even though she doesn't know much about Ke... Not to mention my father-in-law, who dotes on his amazing daughter.


      Looking at the closed door, he said half-jokingly, "Ke, do you think your dad and Empress Dowager are in there right now and waiting for us to come in?"


      "Are you stupid? Even if they came to the Capital earlier on, they wouldn't have been able to get in. Don't forget that I'm the one with the room key." Yan Zheke rolled her eyes playfully and swiped the room card.


      After the beep, she pushed open the door and walked in, slightly hesitantly, as if she actually was afraid of finding her parents in the room.


      Fortunately, the room was empty, clean, and neatly set, with a hint of faint fragrance.


      "I'm just trying to lighten the tense atmosphere in case you're nervous," Lou Cheng said with a smile. He walked in and closed the door behind him before hesitating for a moment and asking, "Ke, if your father really does eventually find out, what should we do?"


      "If he finds out. I'll, I'll... I'll bring you home!" Yan Zheke stammered while waving her hands before finally finishing firmly.


      With a sigh of relief at having come to a decision, she felt less anxious. She then took out her phone and dialed Ji Mingyu's number.


      She still didn't dare to face her father and was preparing to avoid him.


      Yes, if he can't reach me, then I don't need to confront him!


      Lou Cheng was now full of courage and confidence, but he was still restless when it came to his girlfriend's parents. There were still some misgivings. After all, there were some people who were unable to succeed in anything and enjoyed trying to spoil things for others. Family gossip was perhaps one of the last things that might damage his relationship with Ke.


      This was also the reason why he was still secretly dating Ke, even after he got the championship in the Youth Tournament at the provincial level. Before they could talk about marriage, their relationship had to be stable. If their parents meddled carelessly and messed up everything, many conflicts could arise, which would weaken the relationship a lot.



      Thus, as Yan Zheke waited for the call to connect, Luo Cheng subconsciously slowed his breathing. Of course, he'd prepared his men to cover their tracks.


      "How are you, Mom?" Yan Zheke asked in a sweet voice.


      The women on the line said with a smile, "You're finally calling back."


      "Mom, how can you say that! I talk to you every day, right? I won an important match today, can't I share the good news with you?" Yan Zheke rebutted with a pouting smile as she blushed. Soon, she continued, "Ohh, yeah, where's dad?"


      Tonight, Empress Dowager sent a few messages praising me, but Dad didn't respond.


      "Your dad?" Ji Mingyu suddenly said with a grin, "He's buying a plane ticket to the Capital."


      "Ah?" Yan Zheke became dumbfounded, while Lou Cheng was taken aback by this news.


      Hearing her reaction, Ji Mingyu replied with a smile, "Isn't expected for a father-in-law to see the son-in-law who abducted his only daughter?"


      "Does, does he know everything?" Yan Zheke stuttered.


      Will Dad over-react? Cheng will not be able to resist at all, poor him...


      She leaned over towards her boyfriend in spite of herself.


      "Do I have to proffer a birch and ask for a flogging?" Lou Cheng thought of an amusing idea.


      "You and Lou Cheng flirted with each other and even used the word 'Army', to celebrate. Your dad is not a fool, you know; how could he not notice that?" Ji Mingyu said gleefully.


      Empress Dowager's tone made Yan Zheke less tense and she asked with concern, "How... how did Dad react? Did he say something?"


      "He was amazed, surprised, stunned, angry, and disappointed," Ji Mingyu teased her daughter as if recalling Ke's father's face when he caught them dating.


      My father didn't beat him to death at the scene. He was good-tempered enough to spare him at that time... mused Yan Zheke thoughtfully.


      "Then, then what happened?" Yan Zheke asked while Lou Cheng listened more carefully.


      "Your father gave me a look and asked me whether I already knew. I said it was very obvious. After all, I couldn't just ignore what happened. He looked so lost as if saying 'My dear daughter, you disappoint me.'" Ji Mingyu chuckled and continued, "So I reminded him of what we did when we were dating. He was speechless! When I told him what you're thinking now and Lou's promise, he kept muttering that you two were so inconsiderate and had hidden everything from him. He also said that he was not a domineering dad and could not understand why his own daughter was so disenchanted with him. Your dad is so dramatic!"


      Yan Zheke laughed and said with relief, "Has he accepted it?"


      "He didn't admit it, but he decided to look up Lou's information. If your dad was skilled in witchcraft, I think he would have cursed his son-in-law to death. Then he sat there alone for half an hour and smoked two cigarettes for the first time...." With those words, Ji Mingyu began to pity her husband and continued, "You say you're in love, but do you have to display it so ostentatiously? Can't you just keep it a secret until you graduate?


      "Since your dad is so worried, he's already started picking flight tickets. He says it's so that he can cheer for you in your final competition and check out whether 'that Lou Cheng fellow' is an honest and reliable boy, for the fear that you may be cheated. Alas, he's worrying too much."


      Hearing these words, Yan Zheke's heart warmed up and she asked, "When will you get here?"


      "He booked tickets for the day after tomorrow. He has two operations tomorrow and doesn't want to disturb you before the final game. 'Play well and we will talk about everything else after the competition' is what he wanted me to tell you." Ji Mingyu clicked her tongue and continued, "Your dad has finished bathing. Do you want to talk to him?"


      "Yes, please." Yan Zheke was full of guilt as she prepared to talk to her father.


      "Hello, Ke. Are you back in the hotel after the celebration?" Yan Kai's voice was low and magnetic, but he sounded a little tired.


      Yan Zheke answered in a flutter, "We didn't celebrate, because I have to prepare for the final competition. I, I was out walking around with Lou Cheng and just came back."


      Since Dad doesn't want us to hide it from him, then I'll just tell him...


      "..." A short silence followed, until Yan Kai sighed and said with a smile, "Time really does fly... My daughter has already grown up! I don't want to stop you from dating in university, but I also don't want you to lose the freedom to be yourself. When you become more mature, then, well... Forget it. Just do as you wish. Anyway, love yourself. If you have any problems, Mom and Dad are here for you. Er... After the final match, we can have dinner with Lou."


      "Okay!" Yan Zheke nodded slightly, her eyes misting over, even though her father couldn't see her.


      "Well, have a good rest for tomorrow's competition." Yan Kai hung up the phone with mixed feelings.


      Yan Zheke stared at Lou Cheng for a few seconds and she put her fist into his chest and said, with a half-sigh, half-smile,


      "You must behave yourself, boy!"


      "Okay!" Lou Cheng reached over and took her hand, taking her in his arms.


      It's even more nerve-racking than beating Peng Leyun...


      I have to put on a good show for the final competition. Even though Yan Kai must have seen my games before as his daughter's classmate, this time is different. As a father-in-law seeing his son-in-law, he will probably be a lot more picky!


      After they had snuggled up for a while, Yan Zheke suddenly said, "Oh, no!"


      "What if my Dad sees us? My grandparents, uncles, and cousins, what if they can see us?"


      She took the phone, turned it around, and said, "Ugh, I'm not calling them back to ask anyway... Whatever!"


      Lou Cheng wanted to laugh after hearing that, and he jokingly replied, "It's rare to see you like this. Well, either way, my fairy is cute! Do you want a massage?"


      "Of course!" Yan Zheke gritted her teeth.


      Lying in bed and having her muscle tension relieved by the Tremor force, the girl was half nostalgic and half sad. "My mom said that when I was born, at first he wished I was a boy. Then he bought many books related to family education from infancy to adolescence. Once he got time, he studied them, trying his best to become a good father..."


      "What a sweet and loving father-in-law," Lou Cheng praised him.


      He thought that Ke wasn't in the mood to make out with him, so he abandoned this idea and concentrated on massaging her while chatting away with her.


      I'm not that kind of person, a man who only thinks about that!


      "My dad expects a lot from me. He hopes that I can be an independent girl and establish good values towards love and marriage..." Yan Zheke said with a tone of regret, thinking that she had let him down.


      But I don't really feel regret...


      Time moved quickly as they chatted away. The girl fell asleep while enjoying the massage. Lou Cheng stayed the night as he had the key. He took the supple and beautiful body in his arms, feeling quite satisfied and peaceful in his heart.


      Looking at the ceiling, he thought of the meeting with his father-in-law, the final match, and Shanbei.


      What's Peng Leyun doing now... With this thought flashing across his mind, Lou Cheng closed his eyes and fell asleep.


      In two days, I'm going to have to fight him.


      ...


      In the swimming pool, on the top floor of the hotel.


      Bare-chested, Peng Leyun sat in swimming shorts by the swimming pool, watching the shimmering ripples spreading as if he was in wonderland.


      He held his breath while his heart beat audibly as if he had returned into his mother's womb, which was surrounded by water.


      Return to nature and seek the root pulp!


      Everything around him faded away and all sort of thoughts came to mind. Peng Leyun lost all sense of time, and everything else. He felt every subtle detail in his body as he sustained this wonderful state.


      All of a sudden, he felt a shock and rose to the surface before taking a deep breath of cold air. He wasn't muscle-bound but still had an explosive force.


      "Good, much better than last time! Another two minutes!" Next to the swimming pool, Xu Wannian held up his phone in his hand and gave him a thumbs up.


      Getting to the bank of the swimming pool, Peng Leyun replied with a smile, "It was so-so."


      His hair was wet and stuck to his head, giving him a masculine charm.


      "You take a rest, I'll have a swim and relax a bit." Xu Wannian put down his phone and plopped into the pool.


      All of a sudden, he gave out a bizarre yell as if he had been poked by something, saying in confusion, "Was that an electric shock!?"


      When he said this, he suddenly realized that his feet were treading on water, and he lifted his head, looking up at Peng Leyun, who was seated in the deckchair and lost in thought.




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     410 Will There Be a Definite Feeling This Time?
      On the same night Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke went cycling and Peng Leyun practiced in the pool, the Capital College Martial Arts Club was silent and empty with all its lights off.


      Moonlight was spilling on the floor through the window when Chen Diguo stood before the door of the locker room.


      He paused for a few seconds before taking out the key, opening the door, and walking in. Under what little light there was, he stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked around the place carefully. He took in the metal benches, the isolated bathroom, and the clean washroom.


      Chen Diguo took two steps forward and stood before the lockers. With another key, he opened the one with his name on it.


      His locker was cluttered with things, like shampoo bottles and backup razors.


      He took them out one by one and stuffed them inside his backpack. His movements were slow, as if he was weighed down by something heavy. It took him nearly three minutes to finish cleaning out everything.


      His lips stammered when he looked at the empty room. Using all his strength, he closed his locker shut and locked it again.


      Instead of taking out the key, he allowed it to hang there. The key swayed, hitting the locker with a quiet clatter.


      The corner of his mouth lifted when he gazed at the paper with his name on it. He turned away, eyes glistening. He pulled the paper off, smoothing and stroking it carefully before tucking it inside his wallet.


      He strapped on his backpack, put away his wallet, and walked to the door.


      Taking another step backward, he stared far into the distance. Ten seconds later, he grasped the door handle and closed the door of the locker room.


      Crack!


      With the faint sound of the locking door, Chen Diguo was lost in thought as if reflecting on his misdeeds.


      Once again, he left the key on the door and toured the martial arts club carrying his backpack. He went to the strength-training gymnasium with its many equipment, the arena with its well-worn stone stairs, the five-row stands, and the field marked with all sorts of practice.


      With each step as heavy as lead, Chen Diguo entered the Honor Room and came to the display case with the championship trophies belonging to the Capital College Martial Arts Club.



      He held out a hand, feeling the cold glass against his fingers.


      He withdrew his hand after a moment, turned around, and walked out. His backpack was not heavy, as if he had taken nothing away.


      Chen Diguo looked around carefully before arriving at the door of the martial arts club at a snail's pace.


      He craned his neck to give the place another look and heaved a deep sigh. He forced a smile on his face.


      Clang!


      The front door slowly closed and everything familiar gradually disappeared from his sight, leaving nothing behind.


      The moon above was shining as usual. Chen Diguo turned around, his shadow stretching and swaying behind him.


      Standing in the shadow outside the martial arts club office, the long-haired Ren Li and melancholic Shen You were looking on quietly. Neither said anything nor left the shadow.


      Two sighs followed after a long silence.


      ...


      On the same night, the long-haired Li Xiaoyuan was dressed in an elegant, vintage style. She was seated on the corner of a cafe, opposite an elder who was reclining on the couch.


      "These are the conditions the Haiyuan Club had set out. Once you agree, you can immediately choose a martial art of the Dan stage from the martial arts suit, the Magnetism Sect, and the Plague Sect. They're all incomplete, though," the elder dressed in a dark-colored, old-fashioned martial arts suit said with a smile. "It's true we're not in the top professional games now, but you know, the Witch grows fast. This old man here still has a good five years in him. We'll also be inviting other Mighty Ones with physical invulnerability and nurturing the potential backups in schools. Either way, we'll join the top twenty before your graduation."


      Li Xiaoyuan took a sip of the black tea and nodded with a smile. "Sounds pretty good."


      "Intrigued?" The elderly raised an eyebrow.


      "We can first draft a contract. When you have your formal contract and we make sure nothing's out of place, then we have a deal," Li Xiaoyuan said indifferently as if he was simply going the supermarket instead of making a decision critical to his martial arts career.


      No! Even if one was going to the supermarket, one would still struggle with the choices! But Li Xiaoyuan was not struggling at all.


      The elder looked surprised. "Are you not giving it a second thought or want to discuss it further? It's a done deal?"


      Li Xiaoyuan agreed so easily that he found it unbelievable!


      "I have my reasons." Li Xiaoyuan smiled.


      "Do you have any special reasons?" the elder asked curiously.


      Li Xiaoyuan took another sip of the black tea and said, "My father grew up watching your matches."


      "Ah..." The elder was stunned.


      He thought to himself that Li Xiaoyuan was already over 20. That meant his father was likely in his forties. To hear that Li Xiaoyuan's father grew up watching his matches did not sound like a compliment...


      Just as the elder was lamenting this, Li Xiaoyuan chuckled.


      "I'm just kidding..."


      The elder was stunned speechless.


      Li Xiaoyuan leaned back in his chair and said with a smile, "The real reason is that you're the first one who officially sent me an invitation."


      "You're not joking?" the elder asked doubtfully.


      "Do I look like the sort of person who is constantly joking?" Li Xiaoyuan solemnly replied with a question of his own.


      The elder pondered for a moment.


      "Then let's make a draft contract."


      ...


      Two days passed in a rush. It was too short a time for most fighters to see significant improvement.


      On April 25th, the Capital City saw clear skies and white clouds. The temperature was just nice, not too high or low.


      It was before sunset when Lou Cheng and his team left the hotel and boarded the bus. Everything was so bright and hopeful.


      With the bus stopping and moving along with the traffic, it did not take them long before they arrived at the martial arts club of the capital. People were already gathered outside in groups of twos and threes, looking relaxed.


      Yan Zheke's phone vibrated just as they were about to get off the bus and her ringtone blared. It was Empress Dowager calling.


      "Hey, Mom! Are you calling in advance to cheer me on?" Yan Zheke tried her best to sound light-hearted so her parents would not notice her nervousness about the upcoming match.


      No matter how mentally strong one was, it was normal to feel nervous once they finally reached the finals after fighting in the tournament for an entire year.


      Ji Mingyu chuckled. "We're cheering you on by being present here. Your dad and I are waiting in a cafe and spotted your bus."


      "You're here this early?" Yan Zheke blinked, glancing at Lou Cheng.


      Lou Cheng coughed once and straightened his back. When he got off the bus, he looked particularly confident and at ease.


      Keeping his posture straight, he turned and helped his girlfriend off the bus lest she stumbled while speaking on the phone.


      The stress of the finals was finally surfacing!


      ...


      The sky was gradually darkening and the number of spectators gathering outside was increasing. There were banners, cartoons, vuvuzelas, inflatable hammers, and songs going on verse after verse.


      It was not a home match for Shanbei nor Songcheng. There were very few diehard fans, and most spectators only had slight inclinations toward one team or the other. Thus, they got along well with one another.


      In the locker room of the Shanbei team, the members were preparing methodically for their match. No one was too excited or tense, as it was their third time in the finals.


      The club manager, Xu Wannian, knocked at the metal bench when everything was ready. He grinned at them.


      "I haven't gone clubbing for a long time just for this final match."


      The blonde young man from a Nordic country laughed and replied in a strange accent, "Club Manager, don't talk. Keep your mouth closed from now on. Don't curse us!"


      He was rather large and carried an air of confidence.


      "Don't you think you will be struck by lightning for saying that?" Xu Wannian said in faux anger.


      "That's enough. Wannian, you're a fourth-year student with only a few months left in your university life. Put up a good show this time and leave no regrets," the coach, Huang Qing, said.


      Xu Wannian nodded and glanced at the silent Peng Leyun and Fang Zhirong. He shrugged his shoulders and got up, wrapping his fist in his hand.


      "Then bid me farewell with a beautiful ending!"


      ...


      In the locker room of the Songcheng team.


      Geezer Shi looked and coughed twice.


      "There's no doubt we're not good as Shanbei. But we didn't come here to lose or serve the championship on a platter to them! Think about it. Our Songcheng has never had a national championship. The Honor Room is waiting for you to fill it!"


      "There's nothing to lose or fear. Just go for it!"


      Lou Cheng glanced at Lin Que, who was burying his head without a word.


      Ke had once told him that the best achievement their club had ever made was by Lin Que's father, also his uncle. However, he was defeated in the finals and ended up as the runner-up.


      Lin Que had given up the professional matches and applied to Songcheng University to compensate for this regret!


      Now they, every one of them, would make up for that regret together!


      ...


      In the studio, the giant screen was showing the footage of the recent matches Shanbei and Songcheng had participated in.


      "Shanbei overcame Songcheng, coasting comfortably to a victory in the division matches."


      "It wasn't only Lou Cheng and Lin Que who grew through hardships, the substitutes also improved by leaps and bounds."


      "The defending champion defeated their opponents in the group matches and advanced to the next round."


      "Though in the death team, Songcheng handled all their opponents with ease and even effortlessly defeated Huahai. Lou Cheng turned the tables at the last minute by beating Ann Chaoyang, showing the capabilities of the top Six Pin fighters. Lin Que won one-against two, not giving the opponent a chance."


      "They advanced to the quarterfinals without any turbulence."


      "In the semi-finals, Shanbei once again won against a strong opponent. The championship almost within grasp, Peng Leyun was deserving of the title Great Devil of the National Games."


      "Songcheng endured a ferocious fight and finally won against Capital after pushing their leading and substitutes players to the maximum."


      "Now they confront each other at the biggest of stages, ready to end all their past enmity once and for all."


      After the footage ended, the host, Liu Chang, appeared emotional.


      "There's actually no need to make a feature show or play up to its atmosphere. One word is good enough to describe this match."


      "What words?"


      Liu Chang paused before speaking in a louder voice.


      "Finals!"


      Yes! The word "finals" comprised all the significance, passion, and anticipation in the competition.


      The finals of the National University Martial Arts Games.


      Shanbei versus Songcheng!


      Peng Leyun versus Lou Cheng!


      April 25th, 4:40 PM. The match was about to begin!




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     411 Request for Battle
      "It's the finals…"


      When Yan Xiaoling heard Liu Chang's voice through her headphones, she became inexplicably nervous. Her body trembled and she felt her breathing become labored.


      Was this the atmosphere and feeling of the finals?


      She logged into the fan forum and found many fans leaving their wishes in her prayer post. Unparalleled Dragon King, Road to the Arena, and Okamoto's Fan were talking in high-sounding phrases, arguing what Songcheng should do to grasp the scarce opportunity and win.


      Based on her character, this was the part where she would chime in with her brand of nonsense and jokes and brighten the entire forum. But today she was too nervous to spam anything.


      Fanfan, Little Wonton, Eaten By Dog ,and Qiqi… Those who were discussing in the forum earlier had all disappeared… Were they beginning to feel nervous like her?


      Drinking a gulp of water, and yet another gulp, Yan Xiaoling only felt her chest feeling tight. She could not help getting up and pacing back and forth in her room.


      She then noticed that Mu Jinnian was breathing deeply and asked with concern, "What's wrong, Jin?"


      "I'm fine, just feeling out of breath now that the match is about to start," Mu Jinnian replied. She was dressed in her favorite hanfu.


      On her desktop, a cartoon version of Lin Que was set as her background.


      Ah… Yan Xiaoling was relieved to know she was not the only one getting nervous like a quail.


      Jin was so tough that not even five of Yan Xiaoling would be capable of defeating her. But she was also out of breath now!


      ...


      He Xiaowei, who had been making mistakes, once again posted a prediction on Weibo without shame. This time, he even bet on his reputation and future.


      "I don't believe Shanbei will lose today! No matter which aspect you look at, they're sure to win. If they still lose, I'll change my nickname to Poison Milk Hierarch. You can call me whatever you like from then on!"


      He had been quite riding on the hype during this period of time, thus many comments flooded his post as soon it went up.



      "Damn, the secret force from the east is beginning to demonstrate its power!"


      "I'll kneel to you. I have just betted on Shanbei…"


      "What should I do? Should I sell my pants and bet the money on Songcheng? Can someone give me an answer? It's quite urgent!"


      "Just wait! If Shanbei loses tonight, I'll deliver you a car full of blades."


      "Can cursing the team by foretelling its victory really change its fate?"


      …


      Amid all this jesting, An All-knowing Man in Ganghood resurfaced with a Weibo post after disappearing for several days.


      "I won't make predictions, but I want to tell you that Peng Leyun has crossed the threshold and began morphing into a warrior of the Inhuman stage. You all know what this means."


      A breakthrough was a process, not a milestone.


      An All-knowing Man in Ganghood sighed with relief after making the post, feeling the moodiness that had haunted him recently had largely dissipated. Picking up the cup to have a drink, he refreshed his page to check for new comments.


      "That means it'll be another 10 to 15 days before Peng Leyun reaches the Inhuman stage?"


      An All-knowing Man in Ganghood spurted out water from his mouth. The water dirtied his computer screen.


      Though the commenter was not wrong, that was not his main point!


      Once Peng Leyun began morphing, he would soon gain some inhuman ability. That meant his strength would once again see an improvement!


      Shanbei, with their great advantage in the first place, would be sweeping the Songcheng team clean!


      He took out a tissue and cleaned the screen before reading the rest of the comments.


      "Well, Poison Milk Hierarch has just demonstrated his power… Is Peng Leyun going to challenge the heavens and destroy Poison Milk's supernatural ability directly?"


      "Though your analysis and predictions are often inaccurate because of your obvious subjectivity, your insider news is always on point. No wonder you're dubbed the An All-knowing Man in Ganghood."


      "What can I say? As a Songcheng University student, I can only pray that Lou Cheng and his team doesn't lose too badly this time. 3:2 is good enough, 3:2!"


      "Peng Leyun really found a good timing to morph. He's the true Big Devil…"


      …


      Reading these discussions, Yan Xiaoling and the rest on the fan forum became more nervous.


      …


      The handsome Yan Kai was seated on the stands of the martial arts gymnasium of the capital. He took Ji Mingyu's hand in his as usual as he looked at the arena with a serious expression.


      "Stop wearing that expression. You make it look like you have some deep grudge against Lou," Ji Mingyu said, teasing her husband.


      "Do I?" Yan Kai touched his face, not finding anything wrong with his expression.


      Ji Mingyu shook her head and smiled, "Well… Ke will eventually grow up, fall in love, and have her own family. It's just that she did all this a few years earlier."


      Yan Kai sighed. "I'm just worried student romance won't last and hurt Ke. They're still too young and naive at this age."


      "Do you think you're the only one worrying? That's my daughter too. I'll watch over them," Ji Mingyu complained. She turned her gaze to the arena. "Stop worrying about this and watch the match properly. It's the finals!"


      She had never participated in the finals in her entire life!


      Yan Kai nodded. When he looked around, he could feel a sensation called 'the finals' gradually brewing.


      …


      The host who livened up the atmosphere, Liu Chang, turned to look at the guest presenter Chen Sansheng on the live broadcast.


      "Sansheng, looks like you haven't made your prediction for the finals yet."


      Chen Sansheng smiled. "It's relatively easy to predict the result of the finals, so I didn't make an extra Weibo post."


      "Peng Leyun has proved himself better than Ren Li and Lou Cheng in the previous matches, but he still hasn't reached his limit. He may begin morphing at any moment, enabling himself to defeat two opponents on his own. Even if he can't, he would create a good opportunity for Fang Zhirong to defeat the remaining opponent.


      "Yan Zheke may have proved herself a top Ninth Pin fighter with various moves and fighting styles, but even Xu Wannian, the Corvine Mouth, is able to defeat her with ease. Never mind Fang Zhirong.


      "No matter how we look at it, Shanbei has 70 to 80% chance of winning.


      "But there are still many aspects to consider in a match, like their on-the-spot response and counteraction. Take how Lou Cheng's kungfu firmly prevails against Xu Wannian's. Even if the former is injured, he would still be undefeatable by the latter. That's why if something similar happens in this match, Songcheng still has the hope of winning.


      "That will have to depend on how hard they work to create that kind of opportunity!


      "20 to 30% winning chance doesn't mean Songcheng is doomed to lose. I hope they won't give up and show us their spirit and tenacity!"


      Liu Chang could not help laughing. "That last sentence sounds like you're cursing Songcheng."


      "No, no! I'm sincere." Chen Sansheng shook his head with a smile.


      "I know! You're cursing them sincerely!" Liu Chang joked.


      They tried hard to follow the guidance of the broadcasting director to exaggerate the tense atmosphere.


      …


      In the locker room of the Shanbei team, the grey-haired young coach Huang Qing stood up after checking the time.


      "This is the finals. Any mistakes are irremediable. I need to remind everyone to be as careful as possible!"


      "We'll show Songcheng our strongest welcome. Leyun, you'll go first. Don't worry about the follow-up matches and just try your best to defeat as many opponents as possible!"


      Peng Leyun snapped out of his daze, his eyes gradually turning luminous as he nodded.


      "Alright."


      His voice was indifferent and calm as if his victory was a matter of fact.


      Huang Qing turned to Fang Zhirong and said, "Zhirong, you'll go up next. Try to fight to the end so Wannian won't need to enter the match."


      Fang Zhirong knew this was a crucial match and how fearsome Lou Cheng could be. He was also aware how Lin Que had won over him the last time. He did not show his attitude or vie to be the first player.


      "Okay!"


      Huang Qing then smiled at Xu Wannian.


      "If it's really your turn to enter the match, your performance will determine whether the outcome is a brilliant or a tragic one. Understand?"


      Xu Wannian waved his fist at his coach and promised in a loud voice, "Yes! I'll go all out!"


      Being infected by his emotion, Bernhard and the other substitutes all yelled at him.


      "Go all out!"


      …


      In the changing room of the Songcheng team, Geezer Shi was about to make player arrangements when he saw Lin Que step up.


      He said, "Coach Shi, I want to go first."


      This… Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke exchanged surprised looks. They waited in silence for Geezer Shi's reply.


      Instead of feeling surprised, Geezer Shi was grinning.


      "Think it over. You're likely to encounter Peng Leyun at his peak if you go first. I'm not trying to make a hit on your confidence, but you will most likely suffer a defeat."


      Lin Que kept his eyes on Geezer Shi.


      "I know, but this is the only way we can win the competition.


      "Lou Cheng didn't have the chance to showcase his superhuman stamina in previous matches. Only if we take advantage of this point can we have hope to defeat Shanbei."


      Though Lou Cheng could restore his stamina with the Jindan within his body, he did not use it frequently after reaching Sixth Pin. The exception was the match against Ann Chaoyang and Piao Yuan, where he was forced to use up his stamina to his limit. But the reason why he reached his limit was his use of the Power of Blaze with all his strength in a hurry. Thus, the other fighters were not aware of his true limit even if they knew his stamina was not inexhaustible.


      Of course, Lou Cheng could fight for a much longer time compared to other Sixth Pin fighters.


      Since Geezer Shi just nodded without replying, Lin Que continued,


      "Lou Cheng is only slightly weaker than Peng Leyun. If I give it my all and consume as much of Peng Leyun's strength as possible, Lou Cheng may have a chance of victory. And as long as he's left in a better condition than when facing Piao Yuan, he'll be able to defeat Fang Zhirong as well. As for Xu Wannian, he's too arrogant. Without Corvine Mouth, he's not even Cai Zongming's match."


      Hang on. Was he as weak as Lin Que had described him to be? Little Ming thought to himself with self-deprecating humor.


      Lou Cheng was even more perplexed, not because Lin Que's analysis was wrong but because he felt like the brother-in-law in front of him was a fake.


      He had actually spoken so many words!


      Could it be that the more concerned he was, the more words he had to say?


      He turned to look at Yan Zheke and noticed the same look on her face.


      Geezer Shi looked at Lin Que with a rare serious look. "You're not wrong, but your burden will be immense. If you're eliminated by Peng Leyun at his peak, we can just pack up and go home."


      Lin Que's psychological problems had always persisted. Geezer Shi was worried he might be traumatized by the results of this competition.


      Lin Que nodded without any change in his expression.


      "I'm willing to take the burden."


      "Great." Geezer Shi agreed without saying anything else. He looked at Lou Cheng and said, "Brat, you will take the second round and defeat Peng Leyun!"


      "Okay!" Lou Cheng took a deep breath and promised confidently.


      "Yan, you'll round up the team. If you're lucky enough to fight Xu Wannian, don't be afraid. Just don't give him any chance to speak." Geezer Shi gave Yan Zheke a smile.


      "Yes!" Yan Zheke nodded with all her strength.


      Geezer Shi laughed and looked at Li Mao, Sun Jian, He Zi, and Cai Zongming.


      "Do you feel regret since I give you no chance to join the finals?"


      "Not at all!" Cai Zongming replied immediately. "That's how I like it, Coach Shi! Just think about it! I just need to cheer for Cheng and Lin Que when they win and I'll be able to get my bonus! What a wonderful thing!"


      Facing such a shameless Little Ming, Geezer Shi was momentarily speechless.


      …


      Time flew and soon, it was time for the final match.


      In their respective locker rooms, both teams were gathered in a circle.


      The Shanbei team took each other's hand, shook it, and yelled,


      "Champion!"


      On Songcheng's side, Lou Cheng and his teammates put their arms around each other and yelled,


      "Definite victory!"


      Clang!


      The doors to both lockers room opened and the coaches and players on both teams filed out. Under the leadership of Lou Cheng and Peng Leyun respectively, the teams walked under the spotlight.


      The referee stepped into the arena to check the time.


      On April 25th at 7:40 PM, the finals of the National University Martial Arts Competition began!




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     412 No Regrets
      As darkness fell outside, the audience began flooding into the martial arts gymnasium and cheering on their favored team with the slogan "Champion!".


      Suddenly, the radio announcer shouted,


      "The National Martial Arts Final Match, round one…"


      "Peng Leyun!"


      "Lin Que!"


      A wave of cheers burst out of the stands to welcome the two leading players. The majority of spectators began yelling, forgetting their usual demeanor and demonstrating their excitement.


      The referee standing in the center of the arena closed his eyes, tilting his head and soaked in the atmosphere.


      He sighed, not knowing if he was feeling nostalgic over his youth or regretting that he had come to the end of his martial arts career.


      Finals. Youth. These were such wonderful words!


      The referee immediately checked his mood and waved at both teams, signaling them to enter the arena.


      Seated with the Shanbei team, Peng Leyun was not wearing his usual coat. He stood up slowly, eyes shining with excitement as he transformed from an inconspicuous spectator into an imposing monster.


      After giving his teammates high fives, he walked toward the arena with a calm mind.


      Over on the Songcheng side, Lin Que, who had asked to go first, was already on his feet. Upon seeing the referee's gesture, he gave his right hand to Lou Cheng.


      Bang!


      Instead of simply exchanging high fives with Lin Que, Lou Cheng grasped his hand as if to pour all his strength and courage into him.


      "Fight!" Lou Cheng shook Lin Que's hands with great force.


      Lin Que nodded firmly but did not respond.


      Following Lou Cheng's example, Yan Zheke and the rest shook Lin Que's hands while giving him high fives as if they wanted to turn all their wishes and expectations into extra strength for Lin Que.


      "Fight!"


      "Fight!"


      "Fight!"



      Lin Que thanked each of them for their wishes, something he rarely did. He then turned to walk toward the arena, eyes focused on it.


      Under the spotlight, the arena glittered so brilliantly, as if it was a scene out of a dream. There was nothing different from any of his previous matches, but Lin Que felt like he was in a trance. He felt his memories from many years ago overlapping with the scene he was looking at.


      It was still the same glittering arena in his dream, also the same final match of the competition, also the same Songcheng fighters surrounding him.


      The only difference was he could only watch from the sidelines then, helpless to change the match outcome and to alleviate the sadness of his father and siblings.


      This time, he would be stepping on this arena of glory in their place and would give it his all so he would not leave any regrets.


      He had struggled on this path for so many years and had finally made it here.


      …


      On the live broadcast, the guest presenter, Chen Sansheng, sighed with emotion.


      "As expected, Songcheng is using the riskiest yet most promising strategy."


      "Exactly," Liu Chang echoed his words. "If Lin Que can force Peng Leyun to consume most of his stamina and energy, Lou Cheng can defeat him with his superhuman stamina. Songcheng will then improve their winning chances. But if Lin Que loses within a short time, there will be no hope for Songcheng to turn the tide. I think the latter is the more likely scenario. After all, we've seen a precedent for that."


      "You can't be so sure. Lin Que suffered an easy defeat in Peng Leyun's hands last December, but that was because he went through a tough battle against Fang Zhirong and had only about 30% of his strength left. In the six months after, Lin Que has been advancing by leaps and bounds and has the strength of Seventh Pin. We can't consider him the ignorant guy that he was. On the other hand, Peng Leyun has been improving as well, but at a much slower rate. Their gap has been narrowed," Chen Sansheng explained.


      The Inhuman State was a struggle for every warrior. Even Peng Leyun would inevitably find himself in a bottleneck with his progress stagnating.


      Liu Chang laughed heartily. "Sansheng, you should also consider another fact. In the match last year, Peng Leyun wasn't using all his strength against Lin Que."


      "That's true… Besides, once Peng Leyun begins morphing, there'll be some definite improvements…" Chen Sansheng paused. "We'll be able to see for sure once they start fighting."


      He did not make any judgments or predictions this time because there was not enough information to draw a conclusion, but it was evident from his attitude and words which team he was rooting for.


      …


      The number of stone steps reducing under his feet, Lin Que gradually got a clearer look at the arena as well as Peng Leyun, who was approaching from the other side.


      In that moment, Lin Que suddenly felt the oppressive aura of his opponent as if he was an inexhaustible and unfathomable chasm of natural power. He felt awe and reverence rising involuntarily in him as if he was watching a thunderstorm or a starry sky. Such a feeling made him tremble.


      This was the kind of pressure that only belonged to a Sixth Pin fighter!


      Lin Que suddenly realized that Peng Leyun had not used his entire strength at all when in their fight last December!


      Peng Leyun was just testing his ability and strength back then!


      No wonder Peng Leyun was called the Big Devil…


      Lin Que lacked similar methods and thus was unable to counterattack. He could only stabilize his mood and not allow himself to be shaken. His eyes were like two deep pools of water and his mind like an endless sky dotted with meteors.


      When the two of them reached their positions, Lou Cheng and his team adjusted their postures. The audience also held their breaths. They could smell gunpowder; the battle was beginning soon.


      After checking the time, the referee raised his right hand.


      "Talk time begins!"


      Lin Que immediately closed his eyes. No one knew what he was thinking or scheming about.


      Peng Leyun lowered the center of his gravity and entered his stance. A smile appeared on his face. With much grace, he left Lin Que undisturbed in his own thoughts.


      With each passing second and minute, it was as if everything on the arena had come to a standstill. There was only the subtle rise and fall of Peng Leyun's chest.


      "I want to make a record of all of Lin Que's words throughout all the tournaments he has participated in and see if he has spoken more than 10 words," Chen Shanseng said, poking fun at the quiet Lin Que.


      Liu Chang could not help laughing. "Isn't this pretty nice? Either way, we won't be able to hear what they say during the talk time."


      "I'm just trying to relieve the tension before the finals," Chen Sansheng explained, "I see that though many netizens are watching, they're being very quiet."


      "I myself am quite nervous! It's the finals after all." Liu Chang sighed.


      Their voices never stopped during their soothing conversation. Before long, three minutes had passed.


      Lin Que opened his eyes. His eyes were deep and dark, like the night sky glittering with countless stars.


      The rise and fall of Peng Leyun's chest gradually slowed as he created a suffocating pressure that enveloped the entire gymnasium.


      The referee again raised his hand and waved it down with strength.


      He announced in a loud voice, "Start!"


      The first round had begun!


      The first round of the National Martial Arts Final Match had started!


      Lin Que abruptly raised his hands and pressed them together before his chest. Visualizing the ancient characters in his mind, he spoke in his deep voice.


      "Attainment!"


      Once again, he decided to start with a powerful attack without changing his style! He was not prepared to give Peng Leyun an inch at all.


      "Attainment!"


      The mysterious sound reverberating in the arena, Lin Que dashed forward like a bolt of lightning to stop Peng Leyun's Flash Attack. In the audience's eyes, it was as if a ghostly shadow was following him because of his high speed.


      In an instant, Lin Que was close enough that Peng Leyun was within his range of attack. Peng Leyun drew his right arm backward as he lowered the center of his gravity, retaining his earlier posture. No one knew if he was unable to dodge or simply unwilling to.


      Just then, Lin Que felt every inch of him go numb as if he was about to suffer a terrible attack.


      Sizzle!


      Before his eyes, Peng Leyun's figure began to distort subtly.


      Sizzle!


      Weak waves appeared on screen, with specks of 'snowflakes' flying about. It fogged the arena, making the broadcast appear fuzzy.


      "This…" Chen Sansheng seemed stunned. He blurted out, "Peng Leyun is really beginning to transform!"


      Since his root pulp had changed, he could now release an even greater power of thunder and lightning!


      "Transformation…" Liu Chang murmured to himself in astonishment.


      Though there were rumors pointing out such a possibility, it was still a shock to witness it truly happen.


      Once a fighter began to morph, he would no longer be an ordinary man!


      Peng Leyun could certainly get the certification of Fifth Pin before he entered the final year of university!


      With his thunder and lightning supernatural ability supporting his present strength, it was not impossible for him to get three straight wins today!


      Songcheng and Lin Que's risk were now all for nothing!


      Peng Leyun was the Big Devil indeed…


      Lou Cheng gasped, unconsciously standing up.


      He was not the only one. Yan Zheke, Cai Zongming, and the rest were also on their feet.


      In the most critical moment, Peng Leyun had actually achieved a breakthrough. Was he the freaking hero of this novel…


      Right on cue, An All-knowing Man in Ganghood wrote on Weibo, "I told you so." He followed this with a shrugging emoji in a self-satisfied tone.


      Superstitious Belief is Bad replied with a silly dog emoji.


      "Well, this is the strength of the favored fighter of the age!"


      Over on Lou Cheng's fan forum, Unparalleled Dragon King sighed.


      "If Peng Leyun gets three straight wins thanks to his breakthrough, then Songcheng will lose the game regardless of Poison Milk's curse. Peng Leyun is insanely lucky!"


      The situation in the arena was already shifting as the audience was feeling both shocked and emotional.


      Lin Que felt pain numbing his entire body as if every inch of his skin had been touched with static, evoking his Absolute Reaction!


      Amid these chaotic sensations, he gradually slowed his footsteps to a sudden halt. With his fascia and muscles grinding against each other sharply, he turned the kinetic energy into power channeled into his punching fist.


      At the same time, he tilted his head and listened to the wind to determine Peng Leyun's next move.


      Bang!


      With the withdrawal and release of his qi and blood, Peng Leyun tightened all the muscles in his arms, which were entwined with small electric currents, while swinging forward. Like a dragon emerging from the sea, he punched at Lin Que's waist.


      This was the Divine Wrath Force, an advanced version of the Thunderclap Force! It was one of the most important forces in the Thunder Sect!


      Bang!


      Lin Que instantly swung his arm, returning a punch at Peng Leyun like a meteor streaking across the sky.


      Bam!


      The fists met with a burst of fierce wind, setting off a whistling gale. The snowflakes and weak waves obstructing the screen dissipated instantly.


      Peng Leyun shuddered as if hit by an explosive, and his muscles trembled and ached. On the other side, Lin Que's hair was standing on end. He even heard his body sizzling from the inside.


      He felt half of his body temporarily paralyzed and found it hard to gather strength and make any moves.


      Due to the gap between their strengths, the collision exerted little influence on Peng Leyun. He was the first to recover his composure and made a Force Concentration.


      Half a second later, Lin Que also concentrated all his qi, blood, force, spirit, and all the side effects in his Dantian.


      Bam!


      With his Dantian exploding, Peng Leyun turned sideways to stretch his body and pounce at Lin Que like a giant with the power of thunder and lightning.


      Lin Que was half a step behind Peng Leyun, so he had to block his attack with tightened muscles and qi bursting out of his Dantian!


      With Peng Leyun's Static affecting his senses, Lin Que began to make mistakes in his judgment of his opponent's attacks. He fell behind with each step, increasingly so.


      Bang!


      The thud on the arena was so loud, it piercing through the cries and cheers of the audience. Unable to hold on any longer, Lin Que's body swayed and he had to take several steps backward.


      When Lin Que was about to drive his qi and blood back to maintain his balance, Peng Leyun immediately lowered the center of his gravity. He then swung his body into the mid-air like a cloud and dashed to Lin Que's side.


      The 36th stroke of the Thunder Sect, Flash Attack!


      Peng Leyun's eyes began glinting like two bolts of lightning as he approached Lin Que.


      The visualization in his mind kept changing until it stopped at the vision of a cyan jade suspended in the air. Each stroke carved on the jade was formed by lighting, forming a complex text.


      Sizzle!


      The lighting flickered silver and white as the qi of yin and yang began colliding with each other.


      The 11th item of the Thunder Sect, a simplified trick of physical invulnerability: the Thunder Seal! This was specially designed for Peng Leyun.


      Bang!


      Peng Leyun's muscles tightened, with every segment filling with blood. Just then, it was as if he was a descending God of Thunder, punching downward with his hammer-like fist to punish on behalf of the natural rule!


      Sizzle! A layer of electric current seemed to envelop his fist.


      At his current realm, his simplified movement of physical invulnerability was in any way inferior to Lou Cheng!


      Unable to dodge in time, Lin Que once again used Force Concentration to keep his balance. He tightened his muscles with the power of the qi explosion in his Dantian and punched upward with his left fist.


      Bang!


      With the explosion reverberating loudly, their fists were momentarily frozen in midair.


      A burst of light filled Lin Que's sight as all his hair stood on end. Invisible smoke came out of his seven apertures while his muscles trembled. His body was completely paralyzed. He could not move no matter how strong his will was, rendering his Force Concentration unable to be completed!


      Having not used his Dantian explosion for self-protection, Peng Leyun also retreated a few steps. After regaining his balance, he instantly pounced at Lin Que, who was still suffering from numbness.


      Shaking his shoulders, Peng Leyun was about to throw a punch.


      In the studio, Chen Sansheng lamented, "As expected…"


      As expected, Lin Que lost to Peng Leyun!


      It was not that he did not work hard or strong enough, it was just that his opponent was too fearsome!


      Yan Xiaoling covered her eyes with both hands in front of the computer screen, not daring to see what would happen and the upcoming ending.


      Mu Jinnian's teeth were clenched, sadness and regret coloring her eyes.


      Over at the Songcheng team, Lou Cheng and his teammates did not react. They were watching the arena with blank looks. They stared as if Peng Leyun was stretching out his arm and punching Lin Que in his temple in slow motion.


      Even if Lin Que was able to recover from the numbness and make a Force Concentration to protect himself, it was already too late.


      "Great!" In front of the screen, An All-knowing Man in Ganghood waved his clenched fist.


      This was the end!


      Peng Leyun was the true favored fighter of the age!


      When Lin Que finally pulled through the numbness and regained his consciousness, he saw Peng Leyun's fist approaching him.


      Thoughts flashing across his mind one after another, he could sense nothing except for Peng Leyun and his fist.


      He was practicing in front of an aged arena when his father came to him. His smile was full of expectations as he said, "It's the finals tomorrow."


      Under the spotlight, he saw a figure being flung out of the arena. He remembered his father's unusually dejected expression. He was holding onto the railing, standing in front of his seat as a little boy, not quite clear of what was going on.


      Then it was his father's old wounds resurfacing and his face gaunt and aged. He stood in front of the display cabinet of all his trophies and said self-deprecatingly, "The only thing missing is the National Competition championship trophy…"


      He recalled the pungent smell of sterile water, walls painted blue and white, doctors and nurses running back and forth, his father who could only make weird noises with his throat, and his constantly-crying mother. He saw himself huddled in a corner with a frightened look.


      These old memories lit not only the fire within Lin Que's body but also the determination in his eyes.


      Just then, Peng Leyun's fist suddenly slowed down as if trapped in a swamp or loaded with a heavy burden. His body began 'sinking'.


      The power of the stars! The power of the earth!


      Noticing Peng Leyun finally showing surprise on his face, Lin Que clenched his teeth. All his muscles began squirming abnormally.


      His root pulp had begun showing signs of variation since the spring festival!


      Based on the regular procedure and experience of the predecessors, he ought to control the variation and slow down the changes within his body so as not to evoke a horrible backlash that would injure himself. He should be waiting until he reached the top Sixth Pin in one or two years before advancing at a normal speed. That would help him surpass many fighters and enter the inhuman stage.


      But he could not wait to compete for the championship in one or two years. He wanted to grasp the opportunity now at any costs!


      In January last year, Lou Cheng had awakened his supernatural ability on the arena and defeated Ye Youting, who was one Pin superior. Today he wanted to do the same against Peng Leyun!


      He did not use this method in the semi-finals because he might get badly injured and end up unable to return to the arena for half a year.


      He had been waiting for this opportunity!


      Lin Que's indifferent eyes were fogged with a rare sentiment. He had never been more determined in his life.


      He wondered if his dad could see him now. He was fighting for the championship for Songcheng!


      Bang!


      Lin Que swung his right arm, punching Peng Leyun. A layer of fire and glaring light appeared on his arm as it rubbed against the air.


      The meteor was really streaking across the sky!


      In the ancestral house of the Ji family in Jiangnan Province.


      Ji Jianzhang smashed the rosewood teapot with one punch.


      He roared in a low voice, "What a farce!"


      The moment Lin Que threw his fist, Peng Leyun felt the invisible restriction around him vanish. He immediately withdrew his arms with the muscles in his upper half and placed them in front of his chest.


      Bam!


      The true explosion reverberated as the meteor finally crashed onto the ground with sparks flying off in all directions. Peng Leyun was forced to take a few steps back, but he soon drove back his qi and blood to balance himself!


      With the complete release of his fearsome power, Lin Que withdrew the force into his Dantian and dashed to his opponent's side. Without hesitation, he began attacking Peng Leyun with as many Meteor Blasts as possible.


      Bang! Bang! Bang! After making three successive explosions, Lin Que stared at Peng Leyun without breaking eye contact. He clenched his teeth tightly, enduring his pain.


      Bang! Bang! Bang! Peng Leyun made a series of Force Concentrations while retreating in the rolling blaze, but he showed no sign of losing. His clothing was slightly burnt and his face looked pale. The Shanbei team were shocked as they exchanged glances, checking if they were daydreaming. The special commentator, Chen Sansheng, was also momentarily speechless, forgetting to give the audience an explanation.


      Lin Que was about to take a step forward to continue his attacks, but his body began trembling and he could no longer keep his balance. The sharp pain finally caught him as if he was dismembered!


      He paused and hopelessly stood in his place. He seemed close to collapse.


      The referee instantly seized the moment to announce,


      "The first round, Peng Leyun wins!"


      Before the referee's voice even faded, Geezer Shi appeared on the arena. He pointed at Lin Que's points to freeze him as quickly as possible. He then shook his head.


      "What a farce!"


      He kept scolding Lin Que as he helped him down the arena. It took him only two steps to get back to their seats.


      The surroundings were completely quiet. Lin Que said nothing, only titling his head to look at Lou Cheng and the rest who were running up to him. For the first time, he gave them a clear smile, a pure and child-like smile.


      "I've tried my best…" Lin Que looked at Lou Cheng. "I leave the rest to you."


      "No problem." Lou Cheng nodded firmly, blood burning in him.


      He looked up at the arena, staring at Peng Leyun. His emotions were in a turmoil and he could not contain himself. He could not help yelling out of excitement.


      "Ah!"


      His voice seemingly coming from far away and nearby, Lou Cheng dashed toward the arena. His momentum was like the whistling northern wind. It became fiercer and fiercer by the second!


      Just leave Peng Leyun to him!




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     413 The Big Devil
      "What just happened?" Liu Chang remained stunned until Lin Que left the arena with Geezer Shi. He turned to Chen Sansheng with a blank look.


      The series of changes in the last stage of the first round had been so abnormal that he still couldn't understand it. At first, Peng Leyun, who was about to win the game, suddenly slowed down, acting like a puppet, giving Lin Que a miraculous opportunity to turn the tide. Then Lin Que, who was originally much weaker than Peng Leyun, had begun to launch fierce attacks at his opponent as if he had advanced to an immortal overnight. However, the exploding sound and blaze didn't last long. Lin Que had given up and the referee hurried to stop the match, announcing that Peng Leyun was the winner.


      The whole process was just like an amazing dream!


      The world is just marvelous! It's not because I'm too stupid to understand what has happened!


      Liu Chang's words startled Sansheng, who checked his mood and then replied,


      "Lin Que awakened his supernatural ability…"


      "Supernatural ability?" Liu Chang gave him a blank look.


      He had never seen a disciple of a great sect awaken his or her supernatural ability in such a horrible way without controlling it.


      "Yes. You see," Chen Sansheng pointed to the slow-motion replay the broadcasting director was playing, "Lin Que was not standing still. He was actually moving slowly as if being trapped in a swamp. Chang, does it remind you of anything?"


      "The power of earth, one of the features of the Fighting Sect!" Liu Chang suddenly realized what had happened. "Lin Que awakened his supernatural ability and thus restricted Peng Leyun for a short time while saving himself. After that, he tried to defeat Peng Leyun with force gathered from the explosion made by his awakened supernatural ability, but Peng Leyun was still tough enough to block his attack and finally defeated him since he'd begun to suffer from the backfire of his supernatural ability."


      All Liu Chang's problems were solved.


      "But, but he is a disciple of the Shushan Sect. Haven't his masters and parents taught him how to awaken his supernatural ability in a slow, safe way?" Liu Chang raised a new question.


      Only those without the support of a great sect would encounter such a situation when awakening their supernatural abilities.



      Chen Sansheng was a warrior many years ago and had collected much relevant information. He knew that Lin Que's father was once a coach at Songcheng University. He sighed with emotion. "Lin Que knows the risks involved in doing this. And he knows he might suffer a lot but gain little. But he must do it at any costs without hesitation as a responsible warrior!"


      Liu Chang was about to continue when Lou Cheng appeared on the broadcasting screen.


      Liu Chang saw Peng Leyun's burnt clothing and pale face. He was still trembling. He couldn't help saying in surprise,


      "Peng Leyun is injured!"


      "Things are becoming more and more interesting…" Chan Sansheng raised his eyebrows and sighed. His emotions were complicated.


      Lin Que's "blaze" had really lit the fire of hope for everyone of Songcheng University. They would wait to see if Lou Cheng could seize the opportunity and defeat the Big Devil!


      …


      "Ah…" Yan Xiaoling opened her eyes after hearing the host and special guest's conversation. She wanted to cry in joy.


      Turning unconsciously to look at Mu Jinnian, she found her roommate sobbing and wiping her face with a tissue.


      Posts filled with acclamation and emotion began to pour into Lou Cheng's forum.


      "Lin Que was really a tough fighter. He even dared to risk his life," wrote Unparalleled Dragon King.


      …


      "I can't believe it..." He Xiaowei touched his small, thick beard and murmured to himself, "Have I really acquired a supernatural ability like Poisonous Milk?"


      Checking his Weibo, he found several new comments.


      "I kneel down to you sincerely. I shouldn't have doubted your ability."


      "Immortal one, can I be your disciple?"


      "How could he turn the tide in such circumstances? I can't believe it (covering ears with hands emoji)."


      "In the beginning, I believed only in destiny. But it was you, Poisonous Milk, that I could never see clearly."


      In another room somewhere in the city, an All-knowing Man in Ganghood took a deep breath and told himself that even an injured Peng Leyun was still able to defeat Lou Cheng or force Lou Cheng to use up his energy. Thus, he could easily be defeated by Fang Zhirong in the third round.


      …


      In the stands, Ji Mingyu sat clenching and unclenching her fist.


      "That brat, that brat…"


      She didn't know how to scold Lin Que.


      He must have inherited the ancestral traits of the Ji clan, headstrong and stubborn.


      "It was indeed his style…" Yan Kai sighed. He had experienced a lot and thus knew how much it had cost Lin Que to do something like that.


      Taking a glance at his wife, he put his hand on her shoulder to comfort her.


      "Don't worry. Coach Shi and our parents are all taking care of him. They won't let him suffer much. We have all done things in our youth without considering the outcome, right?""


      His wife, Ji Mingyu, sighed and then replied,


      "Now he only has a fifty percent chance of reaching the physical invulnerability stage."


      If Lin Que had been learning and practicing in a normal way, it would have been easy for him to reach the upper inhuman stage and prepare for the physical-invulnerability stage. He would have enough time and potential. Now, however, it would take him at least a year to recover from the injury. Though he might have a better physical condition because of his awakened supernatural ability and reach Sixth-Pin in a short time, it would be difficult for him to reach the inhuman state, and there would be more challenges and obstacles on his martial arts road.


      Yan Kai opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but he immediately gave up. The guy who had stolen away his princess was now standing in front of Peng Leyun.


      The atmosphere in the gymnasium again became tense, choking all the audience.


      …


      In the substitutes' seats of Songcheng University, Geezer Shi stopped the backfire within Lou Cheng's body and then asked Li Mao and Cai Zongming to carry him to the emergency room for further treatment. Yan Zheke almost burst out sobbing when she saw her pale-skinned brother covered with a layer of frost. Clenching her fists tightly to hold back the tears, she was determined to shoulder the burden with her brother.


      Turning her gaze to the arena, she could see nothing but Lou Cheng's figure.


      There is not enough time for me to cheer you up this time, but I'm always with you!


      In the seats of Shanbei University, Fang Zhirong, Xu Wannian, and the others had serious looks as they were stressed.


      For the first time, they were not sure if they could win the championship!


      The next round would determine the final result!


      …


      Lou Cheng's voice was still echoing in the arena, as if it had turned into a pillar piercing into the sky and giving out an acoustic wave that shocked the audience's minds.


      Fueled by the desire to fight, Lou Cheng turned into a gust of wind, bolted into the arena and stopped in front of Peng Leyun.


      With the increasing adrenaline, his blood was pulsing through his body. Lou Cheng felt like his qi and blood were even more exuberant now, enabling him to be quicker and more powerful than usual, as if he had taken stimulants.


      Normally speaking, with the help of such momentum, it was time for him to launch a direct attack and thus suppress his opponent and defeat him within seconds. However, Lou Cheng knew clearly that Peng Leyun was a real tough warrior. He deserved the title favored fighter of the age and the nickname "Big Devil." Even though Peng Leyun was injured, he was still not a normal fighter whom Lou Cheng could defeat without hesitation. If Lou Cheng underestimated his opponent, Peng Leyun might win this round quickly!


      Of course, his present condition fueled by his inner blaze and excitement would help him a lot. He couldn't abandon this advantage. He should fight using the style Geezer Shi had once taught him.


      Fighting fiercely while keeping your mind cool!


      As aggressive as fire, as calm as ice!


      Peng Leyun couldn't resist more than three Internal Explosions under such circumstances!


      Thoughts flashing across his mind, then he saw the referee raise his right hand. In front of him, Peng Leyun's eyes were glittering like two bolts of lightning that lit up the surroundings. Lou Cheng felt his soul trembling.


      The referee waved down his palm and announced,


      "Start! "


      Crack! Lou Cheng and Peng Leyun took action at the same time. Lou Cheng made an explosion in his Dantian, tightening the muscles in his legs and then pouncing toward his opponent. Peng Letun withdrew and then released his qi and blood, lowering and lifting the center of his gravity in a short time. After which, he flashed towards Lou Cheng with a Flash Attack.


      They both chose to attack their opponents directly from the start!


      This round was already at a climax, and it had just begun!


      They were flying towards each other at high speeds and had no time to adjust themselves in mid-air. They had to change directions slightly and tighten their muscles in preparation for a collision.


      BANG!


      It was like a two-car collision in the arena with a loud cracking sound and rolling air billowing.


      Lou Cheng and Peng Leyun seemed to be pinned in mid-air, and the audience could see their trembling muscles and springing tendons clearly. In an instant, they separated and began to take steps back, cracking the stones under their feet.


      As soon as he balanced himself, Lou Cheng arched his back with both arms hanging naturally and then shook his wrist to throw a sphere of icy light and a fireball at Peng Leyun.


      The attack of ice and fire!


      Lou Cheng made the series of attacks within a short distance. Peng Leyun was unable to take his Big Dipper stance in time. Now he could do nothing but block Lou Cheng's attack with his flesh.


      The light in Peng Leyun's eyes became even brighter. Strips of lightning appeared in his palms. He clapped both hands in front of his chest.


      Bang!


      Unlike the sharp snap everyone had just heard, this time there was a clap of thunder bursting overhead. The sound waves and air surge immediately swept Lou Cheng's balls of light and blaze, which hadn't formed completely yet. Lou Cheng was shocked.


      Sizzle!


      Peng Leyun separated his hands, showing the blade-like lightning in between.


      Crack!


      He lashed out at Lou Cheng with a horrible lightning blade!


      If he hadn't been affected by the thunder, Lou Cheng would have noticed the moment Peng Leyun was about to separate his hands and would've taken action in time. However, now the die was cast!


      With a sizzle, Lou Cheng's hair stood on end. His clothes were burned, exposing the scorched skin underneath.


      "Thunder from a Clear Sky. Cloudless Thunder Blade…" Chen Sansheng said in astonishment. He had never expected Peng Leyun, who was injured, to still gain an advantageous position and make an opportunity for himself within such a short time!


      It was a physical invulnerability killer move of the Thunder Sect. Peng Leyun hadn't actually mastered it yet, even its simplified version. He was just imitating its key moves to create a similar movement!


      Peng Leyun bounced back smoothly and shot to Lou Cheng's side. Then he visualized lightning attacking the ground and catching everything on fire.


      As if stimulated at the hub of qi and blood, his Dantian, and coccyx by the lightning, a horrible force burst out of Peng Leyun's body. Tightening the muscles in his arms, Peng Leyun covered his fist with red blaze and charged toward Lou Cheng at the speed of spreading fire.


      The fifteenth item of Thunder Sect, a simplified trick of physical invulnerability: Thunder Seal!


      This move helped him enhance his strength quickly with the blaze covering him. It wasn't until he'd begun morphing and acquired advanced supernatural ability that Peng Leyun mastered its core!


      At this moment, Lou Cheng recovered from his numbness


      Though he knew that Peng Leyun was a tough guy and that he had the ability to defeat him even after suffering such a great injury, he had never expected that Peng Leyun should be so powerful and horrible as to endanger him at the beginning of the round!


      Turning his mind into an Ice Mirror to reflect every detail of the battle, Lou Cheng stopped completing his unfinished Force Concentration as a thought flashed across his mind. Instead, he drove the cold wave to flow within his body and finally gather in his right arm.


      Crack! He made an explosion in his shoulder and raised his arm to block Peng Leyun's Thunderbolt Fire in a hurry!


      Bang!


      As soon as Peng Leyun's arm hit Lou Cheng's upper arm, he felt a burst of ice wave. Lou Cheng had lowered his center of gravity and then gathered all his qi, blood, Force and spirit in his Dantian, giving Peng Leyun a feeling as if he had punched into the air.


      The blaze that should have been spreading outside was restricted in its original position and put down by the icy mist.


      Lou Cheng was actually applying a strategy Ann Chaoyang had once used in a previous competition. He predicted Peng Leyun's movement with his Ice Mirror and then blocked the Thunderbolt Fire with Force Concentration!


      Of course, things were different now. The attack Lou Cheng was facing this time was different from Ann Chaoyang, and thus he must arrange the actions he should take in a different order. With Ann Chaoyang, he had to prevent his mind from freezing from the Severe Warning, which had forced him to withdraw his spirit. This time Lou Cheng was worrying about the burn entering into his body and causing internal injuries. As a result, Lou Cheng had to spout out the frost mist in advance to counteract the influence of the blaze.


      At this moment, since Lou Cheng had gathered all his feelings in his Dantian, the balance within his body was broken and the wave of Force began flowing towards his left arm.


      Taking the opportunity to visualize the Thunder Cloud in his mind, Lou Cheng shook his shoulders, tightened his muscles, and stretched out his left fist to punch downward.


      The first blow of Thunder Roar Zen!


      Peng Leyun sensed the danger when his Thunderbolt Fire hadn't been completed. He had already withdrawn his qi and blood to make the same explosion as Lou Cheng. He flung his right arm to draw an arc in the air.


      BANG!


      The moment Peng Leyun's fist collided with Lou Cheng's, he felt a power much greater than his and a spreading wave of impact, shocking his muscles, tendons, and vessels immediately and sharpening his inner injuries from Lin Que's Meteor Blast.


      CRACK!


      Peng Leyun was forced to step heavily into the ground under such a horrible force. It stopped him from taking steps backward and defusing the influence.


      With the help of the Force he'd borrowed from Peng Leyun's previous attack, Lou Cheng forced Peng Leyun to stop with just one joint attack. Now he had the opportunity to adjust his muscles and visualize a Great Sun in his mind.


      The torrent of blaze gathered together and began to shrink to a core in a pre-exploding state. Then a divinity with a human head and beast body appeared, suppressing all the force in the arena.


      The simplified physical invulnerability, Internal Explosion!


      Just as Lou Cheng was about to raise his arm and make a key attack, the part of his body that had been hit by Peng Leyun's Thunderbolt Fire suddenly began to ache.


      It was dangerous to defuse a simplified version of a physical-invulnerability movement with Force Concentration, not to mention that Thunderbolt Fire was well-known for its explosive power. Though Lou Cheng had weakened the power of Peng Leyun's attack by defusing and borrowing, the remaining power had still injured his shoulder, fascia, and bone, adding difficulty to his gathering force… Lou Cheng began analyzing the present situation quickly.


      Maybe the bone in his right arm was broken!


      Damn it! Just seize this opportunity at any costs!


      Lots of scenes began flashing through Lou Cheng's mind, like Lin Que's child-like smile, Ke's expectations and sadness. Lou Cheng clenched his teeth, swung his right arm, and punched at Peng Leyun's abdomen.


      The moment Peng Leyun felt the shock and was forced to step into the ground, he immediately understood what would happen next. He rushed to withdraw his qi and force to alleviate his inner injury while maintaining his Double Explosion.


      BANG!


      He stretched the fingers of his left hand and pressed down at high speed to make room for Lou Cheng's punch while pushing it out at the same time!


      BAM!


      As if a time bomb had finally exploded within his body, Peng Leyun felt his five viscera and six bowels shaking. His qi and blood began to roll.


      His internal injury had gotten worse!


      Peng Leyun hurried to take a breath and made the third Force Concentration.


      On the other side, Lou Cheng had lost his balance from the explosive force and was now tottering backward.


      When Lou Cheng finally balanced himself, he immediately withdrew his qi and blood and jumped up to pounce at Peng Leyun.


      Crack! He punched Peng Leyun's temple.


      Peng Leyun remained calm in the face of Lou Cheng's attack. Taking advantage of the force bursting out from his Dantian, he shrugged to block Lou Cheng's fist with one arm.


      Bang! With a dull thud, Lou Cheng's joints and fascia snapped and stretched to drive his fingers at Peng Leyun's head like five awls.


      There was a beam of cool light glimmering atop each finger like arrows and needles!


      Ice Sect, 21st move, Aurora!


      In an instant, Peng Leyun felt his blood freeze. His temple was aching. He was forced to turn sideways to dodge using Turtle Shell. Then he felt Lou Cheng's Aurora.


      Of course, Lou Cheng wouldn't let go of this opportunity. He immediately visualized another great sun and was about to make another Internal Explosion with his left fist.


      Whirlpools appeared within Peng Leyun's body. They began spinning at high speed, covering Peng Leyun with a layer of vague electric spark.


      Lou Cheng felt a sudden repulsion force and was immediately pushed back one meter.


      Peng Leyun charged towards Lou Cheng. The visualization in his mind kept changing. A piece of jasper appeared in the air, formed by lightning. It had complicated characters on it.


      SIZZLE! A dazzling light surged out as the two great forces representing Yin and Yang collided with each other,


      Crack! Peng Leyun raised one arm, tightened all his muscles, and punched downward with the power of a deity.


      An item of the Thunder Sect, a simplified trick of physical invulnerability: Thunder Seal!


      Lou Cheng immediately withdrew all his force and gathered it together in his Dantian. He punched upward to block Peng Leyun's attack.


      Bang!


      Lou Cheng's hair stood on end once more and his head seemed to be fuming. He was now suffering numbness all over his body and couldn't keep balance. On the other side, Peng Leyun was forced to take a few steps back from the explosive force of Lou Cheng's Dantian.


      Peng Leyun's retreat gave Lou Cheng several seconds to take a breath and get rid of the numbness with Force Concentration. Without hesitation, Peng Leyun began making the same crazy serial explosions, throwing as many bolts of lightning at Lou Cheng as he could.


      Crack! Crack! Crack!


      Peng Leyun's attack was much like the Divine Punch that had once appeared in the arena, but it was slower and more powerful than that. It came in hard on the heel of Dan stage explosion.


      With no time to gather strength, Lou Cheng had to make continuous explosions with the help of Ice Mirror's prediction to block Peng Leyun as fast as he could.


      BANG! BANG! BANG!


      The two began running and chasing, shattering all the tiles they stepped on into flying pieces.


      "What a match…" Chen Sansheng finally got a chance to make his comment, "a little fierce."


      Yes, he used the word "fierce" instead of "great" or "wonderful"!


      Both Lou Cheng and Peng Leyun were able to create opportunities for themselves in the split second when their opponent was preparing for another movement. As a result, the collision of simplified versions of physical invulnerability hadn't appeared on the arena as expected yet, for the two fighters had been blocking each other's attacks with the explosion of Dantian, which seemed to be so fierce.


      It proved that they had both met their match in the arena. Neither of them had taken the upper hand yet!


      "Maybe Lou Cheng must endure this to defeat Peng Leyun, the Big Devil," Liu Chang echoed with emotion.


      Crack Crack Crack! Bang Bang Bang! When the two had both finished their ninth explosions, Peng Leyun came to an abrupt stop and took a deep breath.


      BUZZ! The whirlpools within his body began to spin crazily, creating an odd suction under the cover of lightning. Lou Cheng, who was punching at his opponent with Tremor Punch, was caught off guard and suddenly skidded forward!


      As an experienced fighter, Peng Leyun obviously knew more fighting skills than Lou Cheng!


      A chance appeared!


      Instead of gathering his Force in his Dantian or preparing to use the simplified version of physical invulnerability, Peng Leyun tightened the muscles in his right arm and threw it at Lou Cheng's neck as a Single Kick!


      Facing the approaching fist, Lou Cheng had only two choices. One was to give up his stance and roll sideways to dodge this attack. The other was to stand still and create an opportunity at the cost of getting himself injured. However, Peng Leyun's punch was followed by a series of attacks, and Lou Cheng couldn't resist them each time.


      Keeping calm, Lou Cheng lowered the center of his gravity and moved an inch to the right, "welcoming" Peng Leyun with his shoulder.


      He's finished…" Chen Sansheng murmured.


      Crack!


      Peng Leyun hit Lou Cheng with his Single Kick. However, it was not Lou Cheng's bone that had broken but a layer of ice covering his shoulder. No one knew when or where the ice had appeared.


      Ice Sect, 15th move, Ice Armor!


      It was an application of supernatural ability that had only taken Lou Cheng three days to master back in March. Though Lou Cheng still couldn't block the simplified version of physical invulnerability and the Dan stage explosion, it was enough for him to resist other normal attacks!


      In a competition between the mighty, any mistake would lead to a crazy counterattack from the other side. Without hesitation, Peng Leyun drove his qi and blood back to prevent Lou Cheng's killer move.


      Of course, Lou Cheng couldn't miss this chance. He had already begun visualizing a great sun and the god of fire in his mind when he turned his body sideways!


      Stretching his body, Lou Cheng drove the condensed fireball into his fist, despite the ache in his right arm, and gave Peng Leyun a quick punch.


      The simplified physical invulnerability, Internal Explosion!


      The second bout!


      BAM!


      Though Peng Leyun punched downward in time to repulse Lou Cheng's attack with the explosive Force of his Dantian, the horrible Force in Lou Cheng's fist still bit into his body and worsened his inner injury. He was aching all over, as if on fire, and almost spat blood.


      As a fighter with the same firmness of will as Lou Cheng, Peng Leyun immediately withdrew some Force to release the pain and launched a flash attack at Lou Cheng!


      Lou Cheng kept his stance with the Dan stage explosion and was about to evoke Peng Leyun's inner injury thoroughly with Thunder Roar Zen as he had done in the competition with Ren Li!


      However, Peng Leyun had noticed Lou Cheng's injured right arm. He adjusted his footwork and began attacking the right half of Lou Cheng's body, forcing him to block with his right fist. With the rising pain in his bone and fascia, Lou Cheng had to slow down.


      Bang! Bang! Bang!


      Thunder Roar Zen echoed. Peng Leyun struggled to keep withdrawing and releasing the Force in his Dantian with ten explosions. As for Lou Cheng, his forehead was now covered with cold sweat as it became harder and harder to raise his right arm.


      Clenching his teeth, Lou Cheng tried to stimulate himself with the pain. In the next round of attacks from his opponent, he suddenly stretched out his right hand to grasp Peng Leyun without defending himself.


      It was the time to take action!


      Crack! Lou Cheng felt his broken bone get even worse as he grasped Peng Leyun's fist. Blue veins stood out on his hands and fingers like Chinese dragons.


      He poured the frost and cold current within his body into Peng Leyun's directly instead of continuing to punch him.


      Peng Leyun became stiff for a moment but soon recovered. He immediately withdrew qi and blood instead of attacking back with his thunder and lightning supernatural ability.


      With the explosion of Force in his Dantian, Peng Leyun jumped backward to dodge Lou Cheng's attacks.


      He was unable to resist another Internal Explosion!


      However, Lou Cheng didn't use a simplified version of physical invulnerability as expected. Instead, he used a Force Concentration to release the pain in his arm.


      Tightening the muscles in his legs, Lou Cheng stepped heavily onto the ground, shattering tiles, and then jumped up to dash towards Peng Leyun.


      He raised both hands to make a gesture while visualizing ancient characters in his mind. He spoke with a low voice,


      "Bing!"


      Peng Leyun, who was about to attack back, became stiff again. He was now at the limit of his strength, and every move Lou Cheng made was like a blade aimed at his neck.


      However calm he was under normal circumstances, he was now unable to visualize the god of thunder in his mind to make a counter attack as he usually did. His inner injury had begun to stir up trouble and affect his spirit!


      Now was the time!


      Fueled with excitement, Lou Cheng again visualized a great sun with horrible blaze in his mind.


      The god of fire stepped out from somewhere in the air with his fire dragon to suppress the explosion in time.


      Bang!


      Staring steadily at Peng Leyun, Lou Cheng tightened all his muscles and threw his left fist somewhere between Peng Leyun's chest and abdomen.


      The third blow of Internal Explosion!


      Peng Leyun struggled to raise his arms and block Lou Cheng's attack.


      Bam!


      Peng Leyun's capillary vessels broke and painted everything he saw in red. A feeling of dizziness blocked all his senses.


      Despite his aching arm, Lou Cheng stepped up to make his last punch and stopped his fist near Peng Leyun's neck.


      The referee raised his right hand and loudly declared,


      "Round two, Lou Cheng!"


      Round two, Lou Cheng had won… Lou Cheng finally relaxed his muscles and took a deep breath. This might have been his most difficult battle ever.


      Peng Leyun had calmed down and was about to say something. Then suddenly he spat a mouthful of blood and fell onto the ground.


      The Big Devil had finally fallen.




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     414 Fighting With One Hand
      BANG! BANG!


      In the pool of blood that surrounded Peng Leyun, there were four teeth. The teeth rolled over and over.


      Looking at the scene before him, Lou Cheng felt as if he was watching the end of a film in slow motion, frame by frame, like a dream.


      He'd finally defeated the Big Devil! Though Peng Leyun had been injured before this round, he was still the Big Devil…


      Recalling all he had done in the match, Lou Cheng found that every second had been filled with danger. Frankly speaking, he would have lost the game if Lin Que hadn't injured Peng Leyun beforehand.


      It was the first time that Peng Leyun had fallen due to lack of stamina since he'd begun fighting in the arena!


      In the past three to four years, he had lost several times in combat battles. But each time he had been able to maintain his public image. He had never been in such a wretched state!


      Lou Cheng exhaled to refresh his body. He knew he was lucky to have pulled himself through the fierce battle. The fact that he had finally defeated the invincible Big Devil was so exciting that he couldn't calm himself down.


      Though Peng Leyun had been injured in the first round and some might thus look down on Lou Cheng, the fact that the Big Devil had already begun morphing actually added to the difficulty of the second round. It made Lou Cheng feel at ease and justified. Not to mention, he had actually gotten the honor on behalf of all his teammates at the cost of Lin Que's injury!


      Lou Cheng was so excited that he wanted to shout with joy, but he finally got himself under control and mixed all his excitement into his momentum. He turned his gaze to the freckled man, Fang Zhirong, who sat in one of the seats of the Shanbei University Martial Arts Club.


      Fang Zhirong felt as if two suns were shining straight into his eyes to force them closed. At the same time, a dreamy whistle began echoing in his ears as if there was going to be a blizzard.


      Fang Zhirong's trembling body reminded him of the fact that Lou Cheng's momentum had reached its peak after the competition with Peng Leyun!


      If Lou Cheng had run out of stamina or been badly injured, Fang Zhirong wouldn't have been so nervous. Lou Cheng wouldn't have defeated Peng Leyun without the help of momentum. The second round had come to its end before Lou Cheng reached his limit. With his inhuman stamina, it was possible for Lou Cheng to win another round. His momentum was of great importance under such circumstances.



      Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Fang Zhirong stood up and walked towards the arena without looking at the others.


      ...


      "This is the first time I've seen Peng Leyun in such poor condition." Liu Chang sighed in the broadcasting room.


      "Yeah, it was a really fierce battle," Chen Sansheng replied. He was writing something on a piece of paper. "I never expected an injured Peng Leyun to be so hard to deal with. And I never knew Lou Cheng could persist so long. Lou Cheng's good timing and indomitable will are really admirable. Of course, Lou Cheng's martial arts base is still shallow compared with the experienced Peng Leyun. Well, what I mean is not Lou Cheng's Kung Fu, but his application and his fighting style in an actual combat. All in all, Lou Cheng is still too young."


      "Yes, or he wouldn't have suffered so much." Liu Chang nodded with a smile. "But Lou Cheng really is a talented warrior, and he's good at fighting. And his performance in the arena always brings us a surprise. I'm sure he will soon be ready for another competition with a warrior at the top level below the Inhuman stage."


      Chen Sansheng nodded. "Peng Leyun's failure was perfectly logical and reasonable. The combination of Lin Que's courage and Lou Cheng's strength and invincibility have created miracles."


      Though he was a little incoherent with excitement, he managed to make himself understood.


      "Okay, Peng Leyun was helped out from the arena. Sansheng, how serious do you think his injury is? Could you please predict Lou Cheng's competition with Fang Zhirong?" Liu Chang asked.


      Chen Sansheng thought for a while and then answered,


      "Peng Leyun was hit by three Internal Explosions and dozens of Tremor Punches, and he was also suffering from an internal injury. If he hadn't begun morphing and thus enhancing his physical condition, he would have been badly injured and would have to stay in bed for at least several months. But his morphing enabled him to persist until Lou Cheng made the third Internal Explosion. This extended the fight longer than we expected and actually worsened Peng Leyun's injury. On the other hand, Peng Leyun's enhanced physical condition helped considerably. In conclusion, it might take him one to two months to recover.


      "Though the battle cost Lou Cheng a considerable amount of energy, his inhuman stamina is different from ours and thus I can't make a normal deduction. In my opinion, Lou Cheng should still have enough stamina to fight against a normal Seventh-Pin warrior. But have you realized that Lou Cheng's right arm is injured? His last attack worsened the injury, so he won't be able to use his right arm in the third round."


      Liu Chang nodded. "Yes, Peng Leyun also noticed it, but there was not enough time for him to take advantage of it. Lou Cheng was actually fighting with one arm."


      "So there is a good opportunity for Fang Zhirong in the third round as long as he takes advantage of it. There might be a sixty percent chance he will win." Chen Sansheng added, "If Lou Cheng struggles to defeat Fang Zhirong, Songcheng will be the champion. Xu Wannian is much weaker than Lou Cheng and will soon lose the fourth round as long as Lou Cheng is still able to move."


      "Are you sure? Even though Xu Wangnian can't use his Corvine Mouth supernatural ability, he is still a Professional-Ninth-Pin fighter." Liu Chang doubted Chen Sansheng's comment.


      Chen Sansheng smiled. "It depends on how powerful his opponent is. For example, Lou Cheng could make him suffer substantially with an Army' Formula, for Xu Wangnian is unable to resist it. The fact is that Lou Cheng is a fighter of a higher level than Xu Wangnian. He has various fighting styles, enough to suppress Xu Wannian's movements. Unless Lou Cheng's right arm is injured badly again, and he is unable to make a gesture, he will… No. Even if Lou Cheng loses his right arm, his momentum fueled with the victory of defeating the Big Devil is enough to frighten Xu Wangnian to death."


      "According to your analysis, Xu Wangnian is one unlucky guy. But now that Lou Cheng has reached his limit, will his supernatural ability to rebound against Xu Wangnian also be weakened?" Liu Chang asked in confusion.


      Since the supernatural ability always came from the variation of a warrior's root pulp and cells, it was closely related to the warrior's physical condition.


      "Maybe… But will Xu Wannian dare to take the risk…" Chen Sansheng murmured and then straightened himself under the broadcasting director's instruction. "Anyway, Lou Cheng is likely to win as long as he can pull himself through the third round and meet Xu Wangnian in the fourth round. The coming round will likely determine the champion."


      "The third round is about to start. Will Lou Cheng be able to get two straight wins with great momentum? Will Fang Zhirong take advantage of Lou Cheng's injured arm and help Shanbei get its third championship? Let's wait and see!"


      ...


      "What a tough battle…" Wonton Seller appeared in Lou Cheng's forum and sighed with emotion.


      She was worried about Lou Cheng. Her heart was beating.


      Unparalleled Dragon King replied jokingly, "That's why Peng Leyun is called the Big Devil. There was a moment where I believed Lou Cheng would lose the game."


      "I have dropped my cup out of excitement," Brahman cried. "Our idol has suffered a lot! I hope he will get the Feitian Cup soon!"


      "Don't be so excited. We are still unsure which team will be the champion. Lou Cheng can't use his right arm in the next round and we don't know whether he can defeat Fang Zherong," Unparalleled Dragon King analyzed rationally. "God prefers tragedy. Is it more expressive to see an aspiring boy fight to his last minute and finally fail in regret?"


      "I prefer to see your tragedy…" Eternal Nightfall Yan Xiaoling replied. She was nervous again and felt choked with sadness.


      They had been fighting their way to this stage. No one wanted to fall down outside the door of victory!


      The girls forgot to show their idol off on Weibo. Instead, they began praying for Lou Cheng in the forum. On the other side, Okamoto's Fan and the other fans began covering the web page with posts of just two words:


      "Winning streak!"


      "Winning streak!"


      "Winning streak!"


      ...


      "Damn it, even the Big Devil was killed with your poison!"


      A series of comments with the same contents appeared under He Xiaowei's Weibo.


      "Am I as powerful as they say?" He Xiaowei rubbed his beard and clicked onto the nickname-changing page. Thinking over and over again, he decided to ignore it and again posted on Weibo,


      "I don't believe that Lou Cheng will defeat Fang Zhirong with only one arm! Shanbei will end up winning the championship!"


      The number of comments on his Weibo began to skyrocket.


      "Well, it seems that you won't give up until Shanbei is killed with your poison!"


      "I admire you so much!"


      "Be careful. Shanbei might hire someone to kill you after the match!"


      "Is Shanbei really our rival…"


      "How much did Lou Cheng pay you for your poison milk?"


      An All-knowing Man in Ganghood also saw the Weibo post. It made him feel like he'd been hit with a stick. He wished he could be in charge of Weibo and kick Poisonous Milk out.


      He'd felt his heart skip a beat when Peng Leyun lost the round. He was even about to fall down with Peng Leyun. Just as he was soothing himself with the comment "Lou Cheng has an injured arm, while Fang Zhirong is at his peak", Poisonous Milk's Weibo post suddenly appeared before his eyes, making him even more depressed.


      He was encountering nothing but bad luck tonight!


      ...


      In the seats of the Songcheng University Martial Arts Club, Yan Zheke clenched her teeth tightly when she saw Lou Cheng's injured arm and slower movement.


      Cheng still needed to join in the next round with his injured arm…


      As thoughts flashed across her mind, she suddenly recalled the time when Lou Cheng had gotten injured before. Lou Cheng had once shown off to her how he could still eat with his left hand, but then screwed up his meal with a blank look. As a result, Yan Zheke had to feed him with flushing cheeks.


      With the help of these sweet memories, Yan Zheke smiled unconsciously. She felt her tension and hesitation release slightly.


      Despite the serious situation, she almost burst out laughing!


      Adjusting her facial expression quickly, Ke brought her hands together at her heart to pray sincerely.


      Lou Cheng was recalling the same thing.


      In order to enjoy Ke's tenderness like that, he must prevent himself from leaving the arena in regret!


      He decided not to release the numbness with the help of Jindan. His remaining stamina was enough for him to make four or five explosions, and the Jindan would help him make three to four extra explosions. Fang Zhirong was unable to do this!


      Now that he was likely to win the match, he should seize the opportunity tightly!


      Lou Cheng stopped planning for the next round and turned his gaze to Fang Zhirong in front of him. He heard the audience cheering.


      The referee raised his right hand.


      The key round that would determine the competition's result was going to start.


      The referee waved his arm down.


      "Start! "




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     415 The Overwhelming Stage
      "Start!"


      The hoary, deep voice echoed in the martial arts stadium, quieting the cheers and claps and drawing all the attention to the ring.


      "It's time to decide the champion of this National University Martial Arts Competition!"


      While carrying Peng Leyun towards the emergency ward with Mao Chengjun's help, Bernhard was distracted and turned around unconsciously. "One is easily disturbed when concerned."


      He heard the sound of electric currents and then the silver electricity flew through his body. All his hair stood up.


      The numbing feeling went away immediately as Bernhard turned to look at Peng Leyun blankly. Mao Chengjun on the other side suffered the same electric shock and experienced shivering in his muscles.


      Peng Leyun chuckled and said,


      "Sorry, I had an emotional wave motion."


      Due to suffering from a severe internal injury, his supernatural ability of thunder and lightning went out of control as his mood fluctuated.


      "No worries. We are also concerned about the match." Mao Chengjun understood exactly how Peng Leyun felt upon hearing the word "Start".


      Listening to them talking, Bernhard could only think of one thing.


      "I was actually struck by the lightning..."


      …


      "Start!"


      Before the referee's voice vanished in the air, Lou Cheng already lifted his hands and formed a seal in front of his lower stomach despite the pain he was suffering.


      Almost at the same time, an ancient character was sketched in his head, his stomach began to wiggle, and his throat opened up to chant in a low voice,


      "Attainment!"


      A figure in a black-edged white robe broke the air screen and dashed into Fang Zhirong in a flash.


      Fang Zhirong had expected the overwhelming Lou Cheng to take the initiative to unleash his advantages and suppress the rival's morale. He bent his back into an arch and moved in the manner between a wolf and a snake to avoid the frontal confrontation just in time and turn the match into a guerrilla fight.



      He moved swiftly in a rather strange way, blocking the light and creating a black shadow on the floor.


      The shadow wiggled as he turned and twisted, sending a chill down the audience's spines.


      Every style of the Dark Sect was intimidating in some way!


      Lou Cheng transformed into the North Wind, chasing with a whistle and shortening the distance between them, fast and agilely.


      His progress had been so rapid that he constantly had many new techniques to learn and master with not much effort to spare on improving his footwork. He still wasn't close to the Treading Dubhe and Alkaid stage, not to mention catching up with Ren Li.


      He didn't have enough time to mature and brew.


      A few minutes later, Fang Zhirong, assuming Lou Cheng had thrown away his advantages, suddenly turned and launched a counterstrike, aiming at Lou Cheng's injured right arm.


      Bang!


      He tightened his thighs and lifted his knee. His right foot rose slightly above the floor and stamped down at Lou Cheng's foot.


      In the meanwhile, he exerted strength from his shoulders and threw his left arm out to punch the rival's right arm along with the tramp.


      A trample plus a punch like a stab in the back!


      Fang Zhirong was taking advantage of the injury in Lou Cheng's right arm and painful movements.


      Knowing Lou Cheng was capable of forming a suit of Ice Armor for defense, he had made a plan for his following moves. Once his punch broke the crystal ice, he would stretch his five fingers out toward the rival's heart.


      The mouth of a bamboo snake or the sting of a wasp.


      Before his stamp landed, Lou Cheng, as if having telepathy, pulled his own foot back and turned right to perfectly duck the punch and the trample.


      A master of the Ice Mirror by now, Lou Cheng was able to sense every subtle movement within a radius of dozens of centimeters. Fang Zhirong's attempts had nowhere to hide.


      Lou Cheng wouldn't have survived Peng Leyun's Interlinked Thunder Strikes without this.


      After the duck, a seal was formed in his hands and an ancient character floated in his head.


      All those dashes and chases Lou Cheng had done were on purpose to lure this counter-strike from Fang Zhirong so he could duck with the Ice Mirror and launch a sound attack after.


      "Damn it! " Shocked by Lou Cheng's response, Fang Zhirong had to quit his move and begin to visualize.


      A faint, ghostly green glow shone in his eyes like a toxic viper, his neck bloated, and his tongue stuck out.


      The Spirit and Vigor Secret Art of the Dark Sect, Nightmare!


      "Army!"


      As the mysterious ancient sound flew out, a bloody, evil feeling of a massive war invaded Fang Zhirong's heart. He shivered with fear, his courage collapsing and his body becoming sluggish.


      With a very peremptory, powerful determination and his familiarity with the Spirit and Vigor Secret Art of the Dark Sect, Lou Cheng quickly recovered after a brief shiver and visualized the Forwarding Formula.


      Instead of calling the spell out loud to attempt a full recovery, he suppressed the impact through the visualization and grabbed the rare opportunity to slide forward and launch a left pound at the rival's chest.


      An acute pain suddenly woke Fang Zhirong up. He immediately struggled to make a Force Concentration and put all his thoughts aside. Pulling back his blood and qi, force, and spirit, he curled up to form a ball on the floor and dodged Lou Cheng's mountain-shattering pound.


      The squat was followed closely by a bounce. Fang Zhirong ignited his Dan force and threw his body out fiercely, as if firing a cannon towards Lou Cheng's vital part.


      However, Lou Cheng had quickly withdrawn his fist, pulled back his blood and qi, and gathered them at his lower stomach like a well-experienced fighter.


      Bam! His muscles bloated and right leg tightened into a whip, cracking towards Fang Zhirong's lifted arm.


      Dong!


      A dull sound came out when Fang Zhirong, who was floating in the air, was kicked out like a football.


      Lou Cheng drew in a deep breath and performed another explosion. His feet pushed the ground, sending his body out like a bomber after Fang Zhirong.


      Following two loud bangs, Fang Zhirong, who was struggling to stabilize his body on the floor, saw the rival approaching rapidly, pulling back, and then releasing his qi and blood. The muscles on his opponent's left arm were bloated and a fist shot out.


      Great Snowslide Triple Explosions!


      Suppressed in every possible way, Fang Zhirong felt like his every movement had been predicted by the rival. He dared not take it lightly and hurried to visualize a turbine spinning inside his body like crazy, boosting the pressure.


      Bam! Every muscle of his was suffering an excessive accumulation of blood, making his body taller and bigger. His right fist punched out with supreme force.


      The Turn of Two Ends of the Magnetism Sect, the Magnetic Field Spinning!


      Bang!


      Airwaves rolled and rocked as the dark blue vessels stood out on their fists. Their muscles roused even more.


      In a flash, Lou Cheng's body began to shiver, blending techniques of the 24 Blizzard Strikes into the Force Concentration and once again pulling back his blood and qi and spirit.


      It left Fang Zhirong no other option but to make another Dan stage explosion; otherwise, he would be swallowed by the Brutal Blizzard.


      Bam! The muscles on Lou Cheng's right leg bloated, kicking his foot out.


      The fourth consecutive explosion!


      Bam! Fang Zhirong confronted him with a whip kick passively.


      Pong! The dull sound made by his leg was instantly followed by another explosion as Lou Cheng tramped the floor with the tip of his foot and dashed forth sideways, relying on his advantageous physical strength.


      His terrifying strikes were so overwhelming, as if he intended to crush Fang Zhirong once for all.


      Fang Zhirong had to respond with his second explosion. His body bloated, his feet touched each other, and his body leaned forward.


      Bang!


      The bump was deep and loud. Fang Zhirong swayed and fell back.


      He felt numb on his scalp and immediately pulled back his blood and qi, stabilizing his body and getting into a defensive stance.


      Lou Cheng, like an endless snowstorm, withdrew his blood and qi and then made the Quintuple Explosion mightily while his right foot stepped forward, aiming at the enemy's knee.


      Bang!


      As their insteps hit, their martial arts shoes scattered into the air like hundreds of butterflies.


      Fang Zhirong knew that he couldn't let this continue. He was someone who focused on the use of poison because his physical strength was weaker than that of his peers of the same rank. He claimed to be an inferior Seventh Pin fighter, but he was merely able to complete the Quintuple Explosion in a row, while the overwhelming rival seemed capable of performing eight continuously. If they continued like this, he would be very close to his doom.


      Unconsciously, his heart was suppressed by Lou Cheng's presence and his spirit was affected.


      "Fight!" Fang Zhirong clenched his teeth and touched the floor with the tip of his feet, taking the initiative to make the fourth Force Concentration.


      It was immediately followed by his left hand with five fingers spread wide and green veins bulging outward, reaching out to grab Lou Cheng's right arm.


      His fingers bore a ghostly, faint, green glow which would cause dizziness and nausea.


      The Dark Sect 's Dark Poison Force!


      Normally, the launch of a Dan stage explosion along with the use of a sect force would be considered a great strike, which usually could only be performed by martial artists in the Inhuman stage. However, Fang Zhirong's toxin was stored within his body and inside his fingers so that he could fuse it into his Dan stage explosion. Though this mave had te risk of a possible boomerang effect.


      At that crucial moment, he made that killer move at the cost of his own health in hopes of turning the tide.


      Bang!


      As soon as Fang Zhirong reached out with his left hand, he realized that something was off from a very brief delay in Lou Cheng's Brutal Blizzard.


      Instead of completing another explosion, Lou Cheng lifted his hands and formed a seal!


      He had read the target of Fang Zhirong's desperate move through his Ice Mirror telepathy and decided to take a reckless counterstrike.


      Crack! With horrible fear, Fang Zhirong's fingers broke the ice armor on Lou Cheng's right arm, tore his sleeve, and planted poison in his body.


      Although stunned by sudden physical weakness and mental weariness, Lou Cheng managed to keep his face straight and began to chant in a low voice,


      "Army!"


      Once the qi of blood and evil invaded his head, Fang Zhirong lost his consciousness, trembling with fear as if surrounded by enemies.


      As the Dark Poison Force crept in, Lou Cheng's internal injury from the earlier thunder strikes was triggered, resulting in his body and mind weakening extremely fast and his capability of performing the Dan stage explosions decreasing.


      He struggled to make one last Force Concentration, suppressing influences from all aspects, turning them into the Dan force, and flowing it into his left arm.


      Bang!


      With such a short distance between them, his fist reached out like lightning and stopped right before Fang Zhirong's throat before he could recover.


      The referee raised his right hand and announced loudly,


      "Round Three, Lou Cheng wins!"


      Lou Cheng had fought fiercely in this round and exhausted himself to the ultimate extreme. Despite the worsening injury in his right arm, he had managed to keep the entire fight under his control thanks to the Ice Mirror and the new tempo change technique he had just learned from Peng Leyun. Fang Zhirong had no chance to shine or to perform his newly mastered skills of the Plague Sect, Dark Sect, or Magnetism Sect.


      Lou Cheng was completely overwhelming on the stage!


      "Ah!"


      He felt entirely free from worry, physically and mentally, and his fighting will rose up high. He could restrain himself no longer and let out another long shout like a response to the earlier one.


      "Yes! I made it!"


      As his shout echoed in the air, he turned to the Shanbei University Martial Arts Club's seating area. His eyes, which were like burning torches, locked on to Xu Wannian.


      Once their eyes met, Xu Wannian shivered unconsciously just like how he would shake during every urination.


      "Next!"




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     416 The Quick-Witted Lou Cheng
      Moved by Lou Cheng's passion and fighting will or aroused by his long shout, the majority of the audience in the stands were fuming with enthusiasm and began to call,


      "Champion! Champion!"


      "Champion! Champion!"


      Today's Songcheng University, Lin Que, and Lou Cheng deserved the championship.


      Xu Wannian finally broke free from Lou Cheng's stare and thought to himself blankly, "Damn it! I'm still here waiting to fight... Don't ignore me like that!"


      To be honest, he was very disturbed and short of confidence. Lou Cheng, like Big Devil, should be high up there to worship, not to fight with.


      "I wouldn't be like this if his supernatural ability didn't restrain my Corvine Mouth..."


      The middle-aged, white-haired coach Huang Qing took a silent sigh before tapping Xu Wannian's shoulder and urging him gently,


      "Don't be afraid. Zhirong's Dark Poison Force is much stronger than it was last year. I'm confident Lou Cheng is already at the end of his rope. Keep your mouth closed and take this fight seriously. You have a decent chance of winning!"


      Comforted by these gentle yet certain words, Xu Wannian was mostly relieved from the nervousness and fear he was feeling. He nodded strongly.


      "Yes, I'll do my best!"


      "I'm in my final year of university. It has been remarkable if not perfect. I don't want a defeat to end my season!"


      He stood up and took a deep breath, about to stride to the ring.


      Huang Qing, his eyes sparkling, reminded him,


      "Try your Corvine Mouth if you're in a hopeless position!"


      The effect of most supernatural abilities would weaken as the bearer's physical condition worsened. As Lou Cheng was already at his utmost limit, he might no longer be able to repel the Corvine Mouth.


      However, there was always an exception. Even if Lou Cheng's supernatural ability had been weakened, it might still be able to suppress Xu Wannian's curses. Attempting his Corvine Mouth at the very beginning would be a gambling, unwise move with a 50/50 chance of success or suicide.



      So he better play this as the last attempt when he was in a desperate situation.


      "Yeah!" Xu Wannian became a miser with words, imagining zipping up his mouth with a zipper as a reminder for himself not to talk recklessly.


      Dong, dong, dong. He strode out with fast and heavy steps.


      Fang Zhirong in the ring finally shook off the effect of the Army formula. Although he was not severely harmed, his face was pale and his eyes were filled with anger towards himself and everything.


      "In front of the worn-out Lou Cheng with internal injuries after a fierce battle with Peng Leyun, I had such an utter rout from the very beginning till the end. The entire fight was pretty much a joke.


      "One and a half years ago, he was a greenhorn with no martial arts experience, far from me."


      Too ashamed to stay in the ring, Fang Zhirong turned around and headed to the locker room of the Shanbei University Martial Arts Club, his face red and eyes bashful and fierce.


      He clenched his teeth as Xu Wannian walked by and murmured with an attitude,


      "Don't be fooled by Lou Cheng. He's at his limits already!"


      In the last bout, he had grabbed Lou Cheng's right arm, infused his poison force, and sensed his poor health condition.


      Xu Wannian nodded and his confidence was strengthened.


      "I'll finish this fight! I'll bring the third championship home!"


      …


      "I have to admit that the progress of this match went beyond my expectations." Chen Sansheng in the broadcasting studio sighed.


      "You didn't think Lou Cheng would win?" asked the host, Liu Cheng, in shock.


      "Didn't Sansheng just say that Lou Cheng had a 40% chance of winning?"


      "No. I knew Lou Cheng might win, but I didn't see it come so easily. Everything was so under his control." Chen Sansheng took a moment to think and added, "When I said 'easy', I was not talking about saving his physical strength. It was an easy win because he had no actual threat at all and kept the initiative throughout the entire fight. He picked the right time and the right move to take his enemy down.


      "What does it mean? Not only his physical quality, moves and supernatural abilities, he is actually superior to Fang Zhirong in many aspects, maybe even more than one stage or one rank."


      It was very rare for a martial artist below the Inhuman stage to master the Ice Mirror. Most top Professional Sixth Pin fighters couldn't do it. Of course, some favored fighters of the age, like Peng Leyun and Ren Li, were able to perform something similar more or less, yet most of them didn't have the right martial arts style, which indirectly proved the Queen of Thought's remarkable vision since Ann Chaoyang had preliminarily grasped the Lake and Mirror Liked Wisdom.


      "That's right... I also noticed some tempo change from Lou Cheng in this fight. He is highly gifted indeed. He had a lesson just now and mastered it at once!" Praised Liu Cheng. "The fourth round is about to start. He-heh. Sansheng, according to your earlier comments, Songcheng University has pretty much secured the championship, right?"


      "Not yet," said Chen Sansheng modestly. "I just have a lyric line for Xu Wannian."


      "Which one?" asked Lou Cheng curiously.


      "I can see it already. A tragedy is on..." Sang Chen Sansheng.


      Liu Chang laughed. "You are spilling your poisonous milk on Songcheng University and Lou Cheng."


      "No worries. Lou Cheng has the supernatural ability to bounce away curses and poisonous milk," answered Chen Sansheng in a humorous way.


      In Lou Cheng's fan forum, the very excited Yan Xiaoling, Eternal Nightfall, posted a whip-cracking emoji.


      "What tragedy are you talking about? I'm waiting for a comedy show."


      "Alarm! No water drinking in the next couple of minutes..." replied Brahman, just as excited.


      As their conversation went on, Yan Zheke's eyes softened and shone more brightly in the Song Cheng University Martial Arts Club's seating area. She muttered quietly, "Idiot Cheng, didn't you say you hated that nickname? Why did you yell again and again then?


      "The nickname is perfect for you." She burst into a laugh with a very beautiful curve on her lips.


      After the fight with the Old Fellow Mu, she became more confident in her boyfriend and less worried. Joy and excitement began to brew.


      "Heheh. I have contributed to this championship. I have worked hard for it. I'm not just a cheering spectator."


      Li Mao and Cai Zongming had stood up, waiting to get on the stage and throw Lou Cheng up into the air after the final comedy show.


      Dong! Dong! Dong!


      Taking his position in front of Lou Cheng, Xu Wannian suddenly felt anxious under Lou Cheng's overwhelming gaze. His calves tightened and an idea came to his head.


      "His presence is really frightening!"


      Despite his tough looks and imposing presence, Lou Cheng was actually in a very poor health condition.


      Fang Zhirong had improved significantly through hardcore training. His Dark Poison Force could cause chest tightness and shortness of breath and weaken and wear out the rival's body and mind. Lou Cheng felt sleepy and numb. He could no longer maintain the Ice Mirror even with the supplementary strength from his Jindan, not to mention performing Force Concentration or simplified physical invulnerability.


      The Swordsman Formula could temper one's body and improve his body quality and mental concentration internally and help recover others' physical strength externally. It couldn't heal the bearer or assist him to rise up high to the peak. Fang Zhirong's Dark Poison Force actually bore a toxin that couldn't be efficiently reduced by the Force Concentration. Lou Cheng would have finished the fight in a much worse condition had he not completed one Dan stage explosion before the poison broke out.


      "However, others can't see my current state... I still have a chance of defeating Xu Wannian with the stratagem of the Empty City..." Lou Cheng lowered his waist slightly and resumed his stance, attempting to crush the rival with his presence.


      The injury on his right arm was not much worse than earlier because Fang Zhirong's final grab focused on infusing poison. Before he could pull and tear, he was stunned by the Army Formula. As long as Lou Cheng could bear the pain, his right hand could move about.


      The referee raised his right hand and took a deep breath before calling,


      "Start! "


      The possibly last match had started!


      Dong! Dong! Dong! Lou Cheng lowered his back and transformed into the northerly wind again, rolling and whistling towards Xu Wannian. His imposing presence advanced ahead of his move.


      Xu Wannian, short of confidence, was afraid of any frontal confrontation with Lou Cheng with fear for his Army Formula and the simplified physical invulnerability. He twisted his feet and employed the Yu footwork to duck away before taking his stance and wielding his right arm like a giant hammer.


      The 24 Pounds of the Thunder Sect, Plank Shuddering Pound!


      He believed he had to give Lou Cheng enough pressure to prevent him from recovery.


      Xu Wannian kept his mouth shut, scared of anything slipping out of his mouth out of his usual practice. The good might fail and the bad might work.


      Lou Cheng's spine straightened and then his waist bent, his weight rolling smoothly. He adopted the guerrilla war style to dodge the strike and then slid to the side of the enemy.


      Pam!


      His knee joint popped and his right foot quickly kicked out towards Xu Wannian's ankle.


      "Beautiful! He's of the Professional Sixth Pin indeed, way more flexible than me..." Never good at footwork or agility, Xu Wannian knew he wouldn't have enough time to throw his leg out unless he wanted to offer his joint to the enemy. He pulled back his waist as well as his left foot to avoid the trample.


      Lou Cheng's right foot gently touched the floor and his left foot quickly caught up to throw another low kick, aiming at the rival's ankle joint again.


      Pop! Pop! Pop!


      He kicked three times and Xu Wannian took three steps back, his panic gradually replaced by calm.


      The engagement between them had revealed how weak Lou Cheng was. His lost faith began to return and his morale increased!


      Lou Cheng continued with another stamp, and Xu Wannian retreated again, preparing to throw his leg out to begin a fierce wave of counter-strikes.


      Lou Cheng's body leaned back, pulling the force away from his leg as he had planned. His leg became soft, as if boneless.


      Both of his hands were raised and a seal was formed, his face solemn and serious.


      " This is a tempo change. This is the Army Formula!"


      Xu Wannian was terrified to death. Since he was in the middle of a step back, he wouldn't be able to avoid the frontal confrontation of secret discipline this time unless he quitted his stance.


      In a flash, he stopped thinking and pressed his tongue against his teeth. He took a gentle bite in hopes of irritating his brain with pain to resist the invasion of the Army formula, which was his planned countermeasure after watching many match videos.


      One of his hands lifted and the other pressed down, blocking his vital parts.


      "As long as I can survive this bout, he will be at his limits and victory will be mine!" Xu Wannian cheered himself up.


      In front of his eyes, the serious-looking Lou Cheng suddenly put on a smirk. His left hand, with a formed seal, reached out at lightning speed. His wrist hooked and then shook to shoot out a white beam along the floor.


      "I'm sorry, but this is not the Army Formula!


      "Where would I find the strength to perform another Army Formula?"


      "Holy crap!" Anger rose in Xu Wannian's heart and the pain traveled from the tip of his tongue to his head. His stance couldn't be changed in a flash.


      "Holy cow! This b*tch!" Cai Zongming opened his mouth wide and blurted out, amused and annoyed.


      "Cheng just stole my idea!"


      Bang!


      The cold beam hit Xu Wannian's legs and a white crystal flame rose and froze his body.


      "Now is the time!"


      Lou Cheng bucked up and straightened his back to throw another beautiful kick gracefully at the vital part between Xu Wannian's legs.


      Xu Wannian was shivering in the cold, but his head suddenly cleared up, remembering the last words from his coach. He squeezed his ass and shouted,


      "Strained!"


      His Corvine Mouth ability was very limited at that moment. No meteor would fall if he called for that. With such a distance between them, it probably wouldn't work if he called for a miss.


      Lou Cheng was completely unaffected, his flying kick continuing fiercely.


      Bam!


      The referee threw out his leg to block this kick and then raised his right hand.


      "Round four, Lou Cheng!"


      "The final result of the match... Songcheng University Martial Arts Club wins!"


      After a second of silence, the audience began to shout,


      "Champion! Champion!"


      "Songcheng University! Champion!"


      "Lou Cheng! Champion!"


      Among the cheers and claps, Xu Wannian turned to the referee with a pained look on his face.


      "Could anybody give me a hand? My ass has a cramp...


      "Maybe my gluteus muscles are strained..."




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     417 What Happened in the Past Stays in the Pas
      "Round four... Lou Cheng wins!"


      "The final result of the match: Songcheng University Martial Arts Club wins!"


      As soon as the referee began to give the announcement, Li Mao and Sun Jian rushed out excitedly and carefreely towards the ring, screaming and shouting.


      If it were a win over Peng Leyun or Fang Zhirong in the last round, it might've taken them much longer to respond, to believe, and to accept. However, after two extremely tough fights, Lou Cheng's final round was with Xu Wannian, whose supernatural ability was completely suppressed. Their expectations had expanded and they had been waiting for this moment to vent off their feelings.


      "Champions!"


      "Champions!"


      Among the cheers and claps, the strongest bench fighter, Yan Zheke, rushed to the ring the first, like an agile deer, and hugged Lou Cheng.


      At that very moment, she could suppress her surging feelings no more. In front of the audience and all the spectators in front of the TV, she showed her love to the world.


      "Whatever! My dad already knows anyway."


      During the process, though extremely excited, she carefully avoided her boyfriend's injured right arm.


      Unlike his well-prepared teammates, Lou Cheng was still in a trance. He had quite some confidence in defeating Xu Wannian despite being at his limit, but he wasn't completely assured. He had even planned for the worst that he would lay a good foundation for his little fairy's victory. The win came so sudden, like a dream.


      That hot, tender and fragrant body in his arms brought him back to reality. With joy rolling in his heart, he asked in an uncertain tone,


      "We are the champions?"


      "Yeah!" Yan Zheke nodded, her eyes sparkling.


      "We are the champions!"


      Looking at her joyful but tired boyfriend, she found him extremely handsome; even his strong sweat odor seemed refreshing and pleasant. Highly passionate and enthusiastic, she opened her lips slightly, about to get on her tiptoes to give Lou Cheng a deep kiss in front of the entire world.


      Coming back to reality, Lou Cheng felt his emotions explode. He couldn't restrain himself anymore and lowered his head to give his little fairy a french kiss in which he could share his feelings with her.



      As their eyes locked, the kiss came really close, but Cai Zongming and the other teammates arrived, surrounded them, and grabbed him by his waist, legs, or shoulders.


      "Champions!"


      They cheered as they threw Lou Cheng up in the air and then caught him firmly.


      "Champions!"


      The celebration continued and Yan Zheke took a step back with a much-amused smile, her right hand upon her pink lips unconsciously. She was shocked by how she had lost control and felt sorry that the kiss had gotten disturbed by their teammates.


      Up in the air, Lou Cheng turned around to look at the pretty Ke, his eyes filled with joy and innocence, showing his pity.


      As their eyes met, Yan Zheke burst into a laugh more beautiful than all the flowers. When one thing suddenly came to her head, she opened her mouth with a worried look.


      "His arm has injuries. Be careful! Careful!"


      "Champions!"


      "Champions!"


      Listening to the ear-deafening screams and watching the excitement of his daughter and all the other members of the Song Cheng University Martial Arts Club, Yan Kai took a deep breath before giving a neutral comment while recalling Lou Cheng's performance earlier.


      "Very determined, of good quality, and fairly powerful."


      Quick-eared and sharp-eyed, Ji Mingyu chuckled and said quietly,


      "My girl has a good eye. When they first started going out, I didn't think Lou could improve to this level."


      Almost deafened by the shouts around them, Yan Kai, of average martial arts skills and no supernatural ability, turned around and asked blankly, "Ahh? What did you say? I didn't hear!"


      Ji Mingyu burst into a laugh and threw a glare at her husband, who was dumb like a wooden cock.


       She grabbed his hands and raised them up as she shouted out,


      "Champions!


      "Champions!


      "Being elegant and refined in manners isn't a fit for this scene.


      "Letting yourself have your own way once in a while is great for your mind and your health."


      Influenced by his wife, Yan Kai began to assimilate into the celebrating crowd, putting his gentleness and elegance aside for the moment.


      However, something was still bothering him. Lou Cheng had earned his fame at such a young age. With such a bright future, would he give in to temptations, fall for comfort and luxury, and indulge and become promiscuous?


      These things had happened to countless young individuals.


      A father would worry if his little girl was dating a poor man. He would worry still if she was seeing a very successful guy. A father of a girl just couldn't quit worrying.


      …


      "Round four... Lou Cheng wins!"


      "The final result of the match: Songcheng University Martial Arts Club wins!"


      In the emergency ward, Lin Que heaved a sigh upon hearing the result from the doctor. His tightened body relaxed and his clenched fists stretched open.


      He closed his eyes and a very tough, manly middle-aged gentleman appeared in front of him.


      "Father, I made it! I got the Feitian Cup..." Lin Que muttered silently.


      That middle-aged man smiled gently, with much comfort on his face.


      In the room on the other side of the wall, Bernhard and Mao Chengjun clinched their fists firmly while pained looks appeared on their faces.


      The championship they thought they had secured was gone!


      Peng Leyun, who was lying in bed, was not in a trance or thinking, he was lost and dejected.


      Ever since he picked up martial arts, he had never suffered such a setback!


      "I thought I could quit next year's university tournament..." The corners of his mouth twitched into a smirk at himself.


      Fang Zhirong had long gotten in the locker room, burying his face in a white towel. Xu Wannian, supported by some staff by the arm, stepped down from the ring very slowly, bearing the cramp and pain in his ass.


      He didn't think he would end it so sumptuously.


      …


      "Round four... Lou Cheng wins!"


      "The final result of the match: Songcheng University Martial Arts Club wins!"


      In the broadcasting studio, the very responsive host, Liu Chang, quickly began to comment with a smile,


      "Congratulations, Songcheng University. Congratulations, Lou Cheng and Lin Que. Congratulations, everyone from the Song Cheng University Martial Arts Club. Congratulations for the championship of this year's National University Martial Arts Tournament. Congratulations for the very first national championship in Songcheng University's history!"


      He finished everything in one breath, feeling very passionate.


      Chen Sansheng continued with a tinge of emotion,


      "I'm sure it is obvious to everyone that Shanbei University is stronger than Songcheng University. However, Lin Que's courage, determination, and self-sacrifice overcame the difference. Then Lou Cheng's resolution stood up to the pressure and his outstanding performance as a favored fighter of the age brought them the final victory.


      "What I really want to say is that the strongest team lost the title to the best team!


      "Congratulations, Song Cheng University Martial Arts Club! You are the best!"


      After letting out these words with his suppressed emotions, he took a moment to catch shis breath and then added with a smile,


      "Right now I'm really looking forward to seeing how my old friend will honor his promise."


      Staring at his Weibo page, in front of all kinds of replies, He Xiaowei was lost for a minute. He struggled dearly to move his arm and finally clicked on his nickname.


      He took his time to prepare himself, closed his eyes, and typed in a new name in the dark.


      Poison Milk Hierarch!


      Phew... As soon as it was done, he leaned back and shut his eyes again sorrowfully, feeling his old soul of Superstitious Belief Is Bad dying.


      Crack!


      After the referee's announcement, An All-knowing Man in Ganghood pounded the table with fury, breaking his treasure into pieces. A sharp pain came from his wrist.


      Once he calmed down, he realized Lou Cheng might reach the Inhuman stage this year and he might have to delete his account as he had promised...


      …


      "Round four... Lou Cheng wins!"


      "The final result of the match" Songcheng University Martial Arts Club wins!"


      In the dorm room of the Faculty of Art in Songcheng University, Yan Xiaoling, instead of posting, telling jokes, or celebrating upon seeing the victory, began to cry, her eyes very red and her vision blurry.


      "It was not easy... Not easy... It was not easy for Lou Cheng or Lin Que...


      "How many setbacks have they gone through? How much effort have they devoted? Finally, they won the title!"


      Through tears, she browsed the forums, which were flooded by the word "Champion," and cried even harder.


      "It was not easy for any of us!"


      Yan Xiaoling turned around unconsciously to check on Mu Jinnian, who was also dropping tears, eyes red and makeup smudged.


      "You are also crying..." Yan Xiaoling sobbed.


      "Would it be very odd if I called it a coincidence?"


      "Yeah... I'm happy but worried..." Mu Jinnian whimpered. "Ling, your wish has come true!"


      "Of course..." With tears on her face, Yan Xiaoling looked rather proud.


      Mu Jinnian dried her tears and changed to a serious tone,


      "To not cause them any boomerang effect, I'll make sure you get up early from tomorrow on."


      "Ahh..." Yan Xiaoling opened her mouth wide. On her face was a dumbfounded expression.


      …


      After the celebration, the staff began to clean the stage. They carpeted the floor, during which singers and dancers were performing.


      Twenty minutes later, everything was set. Fang Jinjue, the chairman of the national university Martial Arts Federation led several guests up onto the stage. They first awarded the 2nd place silver medals to the low-spirited, dismayed Shanbei University members.


      "Next, welcome the champions of this National University Martial Arts Tournament, Songcheng University Martial Arts Club!" called the host loudly.


      Woooo!


      Among waves of vuvuzela blows, all the members followed Geezer Shi up onto the stage. Gold medals were held by Miss Etiquettes, and the Martial Apsara cup was placed on the desk in front of them.


      In a split second, all their emotions were surging up again. Lou Cheng, tears coming to his eyes, turned around to Yan Zheke, noticing her eyes blurry and a crystal tear dripping down her fine face, extremely beautiful and charming.


      "You said you never cried..." Lou Cheng calmed himself down and poked a joke at Ke.


      Yan Zheke quivered her lovely nose and threw a glare at him before answering with sobs,


      "I said I never cried when I was sad and gloomy. Right now I'm very glad and thrilled..."


      Li Mao and Cai Zongming supported Lin Que by the arms, stepping out of the emergency ward. Once his injuries were stabilized, he strongly demanded to attend the ceremony.


      Lou Cheng moved closer to Yan Zheke to make some room for his brother-in-law to his right.


      Before they could share any words, the old gentleman, Fang Jinjue, approached and awarded them each a gold medal.


      "How much alcohol can I get out of this?" Geezer Shi mumbled, giving Fang Jinyu a great deal of shock, who had been pretending to be a total stranger.


      After some coughs, Fang Jinyu placed a gold medal around Lin Que's neck and praised with a smile,


      "You have persistence, courage, and ability to take action, what a true martial artist is made of."


      Lin Que nodded gently as his answer, trying to remain cool and calm, but his eyes faltered.


      "A young talent, you deserve to be one of the Heavenly Sons." Fang Jinjue moved forward and gave a very positive comment to Lou Cheng while putting on the gold medal for him.


      "I have just begun," answered Lou Cheng in a humorous manner.


      After awarding all the gold medals, Fang Jinjue picked up the Apsara Cup, the highest honor, and handed towards Coach Shi Jianguo.


      Geezer Shi waved and pointed at Lou Cheng. "He will take it."


      "Give it to Lin Que." Lou Cheng inserted in a hurry.


      Without asking why, Fang Jinjue handed the Feitian Cup to Lin Que in a very serious way.


      Lin Que accepted it with both hands. His eyes suddenly blurred with tears as the heaviness landed on him.


      He didn't take a moment to recall any old memories; instead, he raised the cup high in the air. The championship cup of the National University Martial Arts Tournament.


      "Champions!"


      The audience cheered. Lou Cheng and everyone from the team cheers!


      Bam! Bam! Bam! Guns were fired and countless white and black paper pieces flew, becoming a glorious background behind Lin Que, Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke.


      "Champions!"




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     418 The Fervor Has Gone
      "Champions!"


      In a nicely decorated private room in a BBQ restaurant, Lou Cheng and the others toasted one another time and time again, celebrating their hard-won victory as champions of the National Competition.


      After the awards ceremony, they were interviewed and then took a group photo, then each of them had lifted up the trophy cup and walked around the arena, sending their greetings. They had then returned to the locker room amidst the raucous applause of the spectators.


      After showering, they had gotten on the bus and returned to the hotel to drop off their things. They then met back up and came to this place to continue their team celebration, except Lin Que, who was seriously injured.


      Seeing how happy everyone was, Geezer Shi had relaxed his restrictions and allowed them to drink in celebration. They could drink anything they wanted, but he only had one demand: that they couldn't get drunk!


      Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke had their own principles and wouldn't make an exception even for this occasion, so they chose to drink soda and plum juice while toasting among their senior and junior brothers and sisters.


      After another round of toasting, the slightly red-in-the-face Sun Jian took a bottle of beer and grunted as he refilled his cup, afterward pulling Lin Hua to his side. He glanced at everyone and said humorously,


      "Alright, I myself, as a useless onlooker, hereby suggest a toast to everyone."


      Lou Cheng, Cai Zongming, and the others roared with laughter, one after the other saying, "If you want to toast, just do a toast, why make Sister Lin join you?"


      Sun Jian laughed, took a deep breath and said,


      "I've been waiting until now to say this. When we head back to Songcheng, me and Huahua won't be continuing in the Martial Arts Club. I want to take this opportunity to give everyone a farewell toast."


      He and Lin Hua were going to go to Huahai to work, and there were a few things he had to take care of. In order to complete his final thesis, he would have to pack his schedule to the brim, and he'd simply be too busy in the meantime.


      Lou Cheng had already foreseen this and prepared himself internally for it. However, actually seeing and hearing Sun Jian say it, he felt emotional. Everyone had been together for nearly two years now, attending special training and sweating blood and tears together; how could they not feel as if they were close friends?



      However, every banquet must end and everyone must go their separate ways when it's finished.


      Not waiting for Cai Zongming and the others to open their mouths, Sun Jian said with great emotion,


      "Even though during this National Competition, I wasn't like Huahua and I couldn't drag up a chance to get in the arena, my impression is just as strong as before. I don't feel like I'm not a member of this team."


      Arriving at this point, he smiled. "When I first entered the Martial Arts Club, all I wanted to do was train in order to be in a competition and be able to vent out my frustrations. I never imagined that I'd be at any kind of district contest or National Competition until I met Brother Chen and you all... you all... ah, forget it, I can't say anything bad about you guys. Anyway, for those two years, I never felt that I was really a member of the Martial Arts Club. It was just that when I had time I'd use the arena or the Strength Training Gymnasium. If I didn't have time, then nobody would really pay me any mind."


      "These two years though, doing special training, exercises, and working and struggling together with everyone to get to the National Competition, I really started to feel that I was a member of the Martial Arts Club. If we lost, I was sad, and if we won, I was excited. As my Dad would say, I had a collective sense of honor..."


      As he went on, Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke watched and listened quietly. Reaching the tail end of his speech, Sun Jian grunted and drank from his cup of beer and then broke out by saying,


      "This cup is a toast from the eternal substitute Sun Jian!"


      Lou Cheng and the others each lifted up their glasses and, after drinking a mouthful, responded in unison,


      "Let's make a toast to Senior Brother Sun!"


      Sun Jian once again poured himself a small cup of liquor, and pulling Lin Hua's hand said,


      "I read a book once, and it said a vast majority of one's life is plain and ordinary. There's not much worth writing home about, and it's just a cycle of one day after the next. Every once in a while something will stand out and there will be a spark that gives your life a different color.


      "Perhaps in the future, my life will be this ordinary, but I can proudly say that in my prime, Huahua and I, along with you all, all came together to realize our dream. Together we tasted the bitterness of defeat and the sweetness of victory. Together we created a miracle!


      "After the flames of youth die out, some sparks remain. It's great, great!"


      He and Lin Hua toasted together, and with voices full of both sadness and joy said,


      "Afterwards, whoever comes to Huahai don't forget to get in touch with us.


      "Goodbye!


      "We truly will meet again!"


      As he spoke, he suddenly began to cry and emptied his glass. Lin Hua also finished her glass while holding back her tears.


      Li Xiaowen and the others also had tears in their eyes as one after the other they toasted, symbolizing that they would certainly meet once again.


      Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke also were wet in the eyes. With heavy hearts, they clinked glasses and drank all of the contents.


      Smiling yet crying, joyous yet melancholy, excited yet downtrodden, the celebration by the Songcheng University Martial Arts Club was reaching its end. Sun Jian, contrary to Geezer Shi's restrictions, had drunk himself into a stupor, endlessly repeating the phrase, "Goodbye, we'll meet again!" but no one blamed him and no one scolded him.


      Standing in the restaurant, they talked throughout the night. Each and everyone of them was bright and happy, their minds free and clear.


      "Hic... I won't go back to the hotel with you all, I need to hit the streets with my friend Fang Yuan," he said as he pointed to the girl sitting on a bicycle across the road. Cai Zongming's alcohol tolerance was quite high.


      "Go, only two days have passed and you've become this much of a scoundrel!" Lou Cheng replied humorously.


      He would soon be separated from his girlfriend again!


      Watching the figure of Classmate Little Ming as he crossed the road to make sure he was safe, Geezer Shi coughed. "While we've been occupied with the National Competition, ever since we've gotten to the Capital, I haven't met my old friends. You all go back, this old man has some things to do."


      "Yes, Master!" Lou Cheng, Yan Zheke, and the others waved goodbye.


      Waiting for Shi Jianguo to leave, Li Xiaowen and He Zi became more excited and said to the two couples Lou Cheng, Yan Zheke, Sun Jian, and Lin Hua with a smile, "We're going to go walk for a bit and have some drinks, we don't want to interrupt you lovebirds."


      "Be careful!" Lou Cheng warned.


      "There's no need to be worried, we've got a bodyguard!" Li Xiaowen laughed dryly as he pointed towards Li Mao.


      As they laughed, they all crossed the street, taking their leave abruptly.


      At the same time, Lin Hua flagged down a taxi. Pointing at Sun Jian, he said to Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke, "He's so drunk, I've got to take him home. Are you two going together?"


      "The hotel's not very far, we are planning on walking back," Lou Cheng said with a grin, helping Lin Hua lift Sun Jian into the car.


      "Bye bye!" Lin Hua sat down and lifted down the car window, waving his hand at the two of them.


      "Bye bye!" Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke responded with a laugh.


      As the car started to move and leave, suddenly all that remained was the cold night wind. The clamor and liveliness of before had already transformed into silence and tranquility.


      After getting used to this for a moment, Lou Cheng held in a smile and put his left hand over his chest. With a gentleman's posture, he bowed his waist and said,


      "My beautiful madam, no, beautiful fairy, may I invite you to join me for a stroll?"


      His right shoulder was wrapped with several layers of bandages and bound together with a clamp. As a result, he could only clumsily wave ahead.


      According to the doctor's advice, due to his body's healing abilities, he'd be much less hindered after a couple of days passed. After three weeks or so he'd be as good as new. Of course, this was on the condition that he didn't hurt himself again.


      Yan Zheke burst into laughter and said,


      "Such a damaged individual shouldn't be acting so much!"


      Even though she said this, she still gave her right hand and allowed Lou Cheng to hold it.


      With the wind blowing, the two of them leisurely wandered down the street, bathing in the neon lights and enjoying the afterglow of being together.


      "Ah, when Brother Sun Jian and Sister Lin Hua said goodbye just then, I really was sad..." Yan Zheke suddenly sighed in the midst of their idle chat.


      Lou Cheng also had the same feeling and nodded his head, but he teased, "Coach Yan, I remember what you taught me. There are two kinds of friends. One kind only crosses paths for a short period of time and inevitably, gradually drifts apart. There's no need to be so heartbroken."


      A vicious smile gathered on Yan Zheke's face and she gritted her teeth as she rolled her eyes at him.


      "I understand this!"


      But there was no reasoning with emotions.


      Being subjected to such a fierce and angry gaze by Yan Zheke, Lou Cheng's heart suddenly skipped a beat. Using his periphery to look around, he used his chin to point towards a quiet alley with no one in it. "Let's go over there."


      "Eh?" Yan Zheke blinked in bewilderment.


      "We can take a shortcut over there," Lou Cheng said without skipping a beat, pulling her closer as they entered.


      Seeing her boyfriend be this insistent, Yan Zheke's face was full of confusion. However, she didn't have any hesitation. As their pace once again quickened, the bricks shook underneath each step they took, and her skirt waved like in a dance.


      Lou Cheng clung to her and looked ahead. After they had gone a few steps inside the alley, he suddenly used some force to pull her close into his chest.


      "..." Yan Zheke raised her head and was just about to say something when Lou Cheng used his own mouth to block up hers, passionately and fervently.


      "Oh, oh!" she uttered as her body softened. Her two hands grasped Lou Cheng's clothes and she was the first to stick out her tongue, allowing her boyfriend to taste its sweetness.


      Lou Cheng kissed harder and more intensely, breathing in her warm and supple smell, feeling her delicate and splendid body.


      After a moment, they finally separated, breathing softly.


      Yan Zheke's eyes again lit up as she looked at Lou Cheng and said full of happiness, " You... how are you so excited? You just want to head straight back to the hotel!"


      Lou Cheng snickered. "I thought that tonight your mom and dad would surely come and find you to have a heart-to-heart, so when we get back to the hotel, we have to separate after a short time. So kiss first and talk later!"


      "Ah, you've become a master!" Yan Zheke's eyes seemed to swirl as she thought about his reasoning.


      "It's all because Coach Yan taught me well." Lou Cheng lowered his head and placed his forehead on the little fairy's. In contrast to his previous haste, he spoke slowly from his heart as if he was in a dream. "It's great... we're champions... together with you, we've become champions..."


      In the face of this posture and this voice, Yan Zheke's entire heart melted. She lifted up her head. Her pink lips separated slightly and her eyes sparkled as the looked at her boyfriend, waiting for him to kiss her.


      Lou Cheng naturally gave her what she desired.


      The two of them were intertwined, continuously stroking and brushing lightly. A path that should have taken a few seconds took half an hour. As they finally arrived at the entrance of the hotel and saw the figures of Ji Mingyu and Yan Kai, a car rushed up and stopped beside them.


      The door opened. Stepping out in a pair of casual pants and t-shirt, a cool and collected Lin Que stood in front of them conspicuously.


      "Brother," Yan Zheke subconsciously yelped.


      Lin Que nodded his head slightly. Looking them both in the eyes, he said gloomily,


      "I might not go back to Songcheng University."


      Ah... Lou Cheng stared blankly for a moment. Yan Zheke seemed as if she had predicted this earlier.


      Lou Cheng knew that Lin Que had come to study at Songcheng University to make up for his father's regret and to become the champion of the National Competition. He wasn't like Peng Leyun, who loved to study regularly, and he also wasn't like Ren Li, who simply didn't want to be illiterate. Getting through all the ordinary classes and obtaining a degree didn't mean too much in his eyes. Once his dream was realized, he naturally wouldn't be enthusiastic about returning.


      However, Lou Cheng still hadn't thought that Lin Que's farewell would come this quickly, or that it would come at a point when he wasn't prepared.


      Lin Que was still calm and collected in appearance, but he spoke more than he normally would.


      "I heard a song before and remember a line in it. It goes 'In the frivolous days of youth, all sensible things must come to an end.' "


      Pausing for a moment, he again revealed an extremely minute smile, and using a tone that wasn't quite the same as his usual apathetic one, said,


      "In the frivolous days of youth, all sensible things must come to an end."


      Finished speaking, he turned and pulled open the door, getting back in and sitting down. Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke could only see his lonely silhouette.


      As the car pulled away, Lin Que didn't turn his head. He only slowly raised his hand, giving them a seemingly careless wave.


      The car, and him along with it, faded into the distance until there was no silhouette.


      Their previous fervor had gone, and in its place was a cold cheerlessness.


      Lou Cheng closed his eyes, and in the emptiness, it was as if he could still hear Lin Que's words ringing in his ears.


      "In the frivolous days of youth, all sensible things must come to an end."




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     419 Life Goes On
      Amidst the muddled yellow of the evening light along the side of the road, Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke remained there in silence for a moment, then turned their shoulders and headed towards the main entrance of the hotel.


      "My brother's sudden awakening is probably a result of him being scolded by Grandpa…" Yan Zheke said indistinctly as she walked.


      Lou Cheng sighed. "He's invested so much… Anyway, he's gotten the championship and achieved his dream, so there's no need for him to butt heads with your grandfather."


      While he was in high school, he was relatively inexperienced when it came to parting ways and the sadness that followed. Back then, his wisdom and viewpoints weren't fully formed. He was filled with hope for the future and felt that meeting again would be a regular occurrence. All other feelings were indistinct, vague, and their profoundness was lost in his muddle-headedness.


      Now he knew more. He struggled together with everyone, sweat blood together, and together they had faced the day, treasuring each other's company more and more as they went along. He knew now that everyone had their own paths, and when it all was finished, there wouldn't necessarily be another time. Consequently, he was unable to control his sadness.


      It was okay; Lin Que was his brother-in-law. In the future, he would also enter professional competitions, so their opportunities for meeting again would be plentiful. It was just that he was sad for the previous two years, as they had worked together to achieve the same goal, worked together brilliantly, and tasted both victory's sweetness and defeat's bitterness together.


      "Yes, but I'm still depressed…" Yan Zheke flattened her mouth, her face looking like she'd been wronged.


      Lou Cheng was about to repeat the two sentences when he suddenly saw his own mother and father-in-law emerge from the revolving doors. He hurriedly straightened his back and cleared his throat.


      However, he did not loosen his grip on Yan Zheke's hand, as if he were to say something.


      "Mom, Dad…" as Yan Zheke said these two words, her cheeks quickly flushed red, but she never withdrew her right hand.


      "Uncle Yan, Aunt Ji," Lou Cheng said immediately afterward. It was if there was no feeling in his arms or legs.


      Yan Kai saw that they were tightly gripping each other's hands, nodded her head lightly, and responded to Lou Cheng's greeting,



      "Okay."


      His mouth opened and then closed as if he wanted to say something, and in the end didn't open again.


      Ji Ming Yu chuckled. "Lou, how's your injury? Is it alright? You did really well in tonight's competition. It was quite eye-popping."


      "You're exaggerating Auntie, it's nothing major. After a few weeks, it'll be fine," Lou Cheng responded straightforwardly.


      "Not bad, look after yourself. Keke, sleep together with Mom tonight. Us two girls can talk and make your father sleep on the sofa outside," Ji Mingyu said laughing as she glanced at her daughter.


      "Mmm." Yan Zheke nodded, then she leaned her body towards Lou Cheng to say, "I'll go with my parents first."


      She paused her lips and leaned her head slightly to the side as she said, "See you tomorrow."


      "See you tomorrow!" Lou Cheng replied with a smile, waving at Yan Kai and Ji Mingyu as he said, "Aunt, Uncle, goodnight."


      "See you tomorrow." Ji Mingyu lightly smiled as she repeated her daughter's words. Yan Kai courteously nodded his head.


      Seeing the three of them head off, Lou Cheng sighed. The atmosphere upon meeting his mother and father-in-law has been somewhat awkward and subdued, but it was as he expected. He'd been overcautious in his expectations of a grand scene.


      He didn't know if Talker was this kind of Mighty One if he had been his usual unrestrained and carefree self when he met his mother and father-in-law.


      Letting his imagination run wild, Lou Cheng returned to his own room and turned on the lights.


      On the right was a bed that he had not slept in for quite a few days. On the left was an array of chaotically arranged items. Lou Cheng suddenly had the feeling like he'd come back from a several months long business trip to a lonely home. As the room filled with light, it also filled with loneliness, and was striking in its unfamiliarity.


      Was this what a night after seizing the crown should be like? Only me by myself? Lou Cheng sighed, didn't change his shoes, and went to lower the curtains. The building towered above the outside. The lights of thousands of homes were lit up like stars in the sky, flourishing but also lonely.


      After staring in a daze for a moment, Lou Cheng suddenly felt his phone vibrate. Taking it out, he saw that Yan Zheke had sent a message.


      "I'm talking with my parents, they've got a good impression of you," Little Ke said with a shy smile.


      The corner of Lou Cheng's mouth rose. It was as if his injury had disappeared and there wasn't a trace of it left. He replied with a wicked grin,


      "So, can we get married?"


      "Wow, what a great thought! The revolution still hasn't succeeded, you must continue to fight hard, comrade!" Yan Zheke said, replying with a hand making a fist.


      Lou Cheng laughed despite himself and lifted his hand up to see the pledge ring on his finger, then he once again glanced towards the outside.


      This time, he felt that the lights in the night outside put out a calming and soothing warmth in order to help the passerbys help find their way home.


      …


      The next day, the National Competition champion Lou Cheng rose early as he always had. There was no slacking or goofing off.


      His arm had an injury, so it was hard to perform a lot of moves. He could only focus on inner training, footwork, and his legs. The morning light could always shift and give way to wind, blowing in contrast to ones wishes.


      At 7:40, Lou Cheng finished his usual training and returned to the hotel, washing his body with some difficulty.


      At that point, with nothing to do, he suddenly felt some strange emotions. It felt as if them obtaining the National Competition championship wasn't real and that it had been some sort of dream. If it wasn't for the gold medal hanging by his side, he was afraid he truly would be unable to believe it.


      "It hasn't even been one day, how can I already be reflecting on it..." Lou Cheng shook his head and laughed despite himself. With his heart pounding, he took the card, left the room, and prepared to hail a cab to the Capital's martial arts arena.


      xx


      Unconsciously arriving at his desired destination, he put on a pair of sunglasses, stuck his hands in his pockets, and slowly walked towards the entrance of the martial arts arena.


      Around the square inside, there was no trace of the waves of spectators who had come and gone the night before. Even the floor had already become neat and clean. Not a single trace or vestige had been left behind.


      Passing by a few men and women who were coming to open their stores, Lou Cheng's didn't know why his mood had become so splendid. Even the shadows on the bricks underneath his feet as he walked seemed pleasing to his eyes.


      The main entrance of the arena re-opened. It was desolate, with not a trace of any human beings inside. On both sides of the walls hung posters of his and Peng Leyun's "confrontation".


      Laughing lightly, Lou Cheng stuck his hands in his pockets and slowly walked closer to the arena, looking for a place to sit down. He looked softly at the spot where last night's great bout had taken place, at the spot where two children had fought tooth and nail.


      Their fighting style was on the straight and narrow path, but their bodies had still not yet developed. Their power wasn't sufficient, their footwork was aimless and didn't have any real substance or might to it. While watching film and television, they would bellow with every strike in a burst of excitement, using their full vitality.


      "Hey, be careful!"


      "Don't hurt yourself!"


      A few elders sitting by the side incessantly reminded him until they were led by the coach over to the viewing platform.


      Noticing Lou Cheng laughing as he observed the arena, one outgoing elder laughed and said, "You young folks don't need to study style. We old folks have no choice, so all we can do is find the time to come and have a look."


      As Lou Cheng thought, he said with a smile, "Practising style is a good thing."


      While speaking, he got up quickly and added, "The appropriate training can promote development. If it's not the appropriate training, then it can hinder development."


      "Ah..." The elders looked at one another with some confusion.


      Lou Cheng didn't say anything further as he stuck his hands in his pockets and headed towards the entrance. As he was about to leave, he turned back his head and glanced towards that familiar yet unfamiliar arena.


      From this angle, it was if he was a spectator seeing Lin Que lift up the trophy, himself lifting his head up to the sky and crying out, and Yan Zheke rushing towards the arena...


      The corner of his mouth twitched, and he turned around, leaving this place.


      …


      Outside of the arena, Lou Cheng took out his phone, snapped a picture of the entrance, and sent it to Yan Zheke.


      "Ah... the martial arts arena!" Yan Zheke was first astonished, and then, with a furious anger, said, "And you didn't take me along!"


      "Next time we'll go together!" Lou Cheng said with a goofy laugh. "I just got carried away on a whim is all."


      Yan Zheke sent an emoji covering its mouth in laughter. "My foolish Cheng still can be this goofy!"


      After saying this, she added, "Empress Dowager invites you to come and eat lunch, the address is..."


      Lou Cheng's previously carefree and pensive mood vanished and he hurriedly replied, "Should I buy anything? Cigarettes, alcohol, fruit? It seems I should bring something if it's my first visit..."


      "No need..." Yan Zheke said perplexedly. "It's not an official visit, just eating a meal together, and we're still just students."


      "But it's still my first time meeting your parents. When meeting my mother and father-in-law, I need to show how important it is to me!" Lou Cheng sent an emoji of a hand rubbing the chin.


      Everybody likes someone with manners!


      "I'm so inexperienced... I'll... I'll ask Empress Dowager!" Yan Zheke hesitated for a moment and then decided to ask someone with experience.


      Lou Cheng snickered. "Empress Dowager also probably won't understand. For your father, it's the first time having such a meeting so many years after your birth."


      "Don't worry! Anyway, the important thing for my mom and dad is that they're not so fussy!" Yan Zheke stopped for a moment and then said, "Empress Dowager said there's no need to bring anything. She says to relax and not be so reserved."


      "Fine... then should I just come over directly without any shame?" Lou Cheng asked.


      Yan Zheke sent an emoji with its eyes spinning. "There's no hurry, you can go back and change your clothes. Wear... wear that dark shirt and the, the..."


      Seeing her instructing him aimlessly, Lou Cheng couldn't keep from laughing as he said, "Ke, are you a little nervous?"


      "I still don't know what a silly child like you is going to do!" Yan Zheke rolled her eyes.


      "Hehe." Lou Cheng didn't press. He sent sent a pair of hands giving a salute. "I'll listen to every word of Coach Yan's commands!"


      Because she cared about her own and their future together, Ke was nervous and fidgety...


      Agh, I'm the same...


      Getting back to the hotel, he rummaged through his clothes and dressed according to Yan Zheke's previous tips. After dressing, he called a car and prepared to leave.


      On his way down to the lobby, he ran into Li Mao, Li Xiaowen, and the others, who were giggling as they were about to go out. He could feel their happiness.


      Waving his hand, Lou Cheng stood at the entrance waiting for a car. At this moment, the sun shone brightly, and all was well with the world.




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     420 Settling Down
      The place they'd arranged to eat at was in a courtyard without any signs. As Lou Cheng walked towards the entrance, Yan Zheke was already waiting outside wearing a knee-length white dress. Her beautiful, jet black long hair swayed in the wind that passed through the alleyway. She was so beautiful, it was as if she'd come out of a painting.


      Her eyes brightened when she saw her boyfriend. She took two steps forward and reached out with her hand to help Lou Cheng arrange his shirt collar and get rid of any creases. Her lips formed a smile as she said, "Don't be nervous, it's just a normal meal."


      "I wasn't nervous before, but when you say this, it makes me a bit nervous," Lou Cheng joked deliberately.


      Yan Zheke's eyes were filled with beauty. She looked him in the eyes and, pulling his non-injured hand, turned and headed towards the courtyard.


      "Let's go!"


      Passing through the worn and aged entrance, going through the arch that was covered with flowering vines, and over a small, crystal clear pond that emitted a fresh fragrance, Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke entered through the east side of the house. They came into a secret room that felt quite warm.


      A simple and unadorned table stood by the window. Outside, flowers were in bloom, which created an air of elegance as they swayed lightly.


      Lou Cheng was unable to make heads or tails of the calligraphy paintings that hung on the wall. Lots of trinkets and adornments stood on top of the cabinet. Then he turned his gaze towards the four-sided table, and towards his mother and father-in-law.


      "Hello, Aunt, Uncle."


      "Sit," Ji Mingyu said with a smile, pointing to the place opposite of Yan Zheke.


      "Okay." Lou Cheng went back a half step and sat down along with Yan Zheke.


      While the subtly awkward atmosphere was brewing, Ji Mingyu laughed. "When it comes to local dishes in the Capital, this restaurant ranks among the top five in my mind, and the atmosphere is quite suitable. Hehe, while I myself prefer food similar to food from Xiushan, you should quite like it."


      "Actually, I'm not a picky eater. Strange ingredients and flavors aren't a problem." Lou Cheng smiled in response.


      Ji Mingyu nodded. "Using the best ingredients to produce delicious food isn't a big deal. You can use ordinary ingredients to create food that people will praise to the heavens. If you really have skill and you combine the best of both worlds, the best ingredients and true skill, then you can create truly marvelous food."



      "Like this place for example?" Yan Zheke asked rhetorically, livening the atmosphere.


      As the full-of-energy Empress Dowager took the initiative of leading the conversation, the awkwardness dissipated and Lou Cheng became more relaxed. He spoke and interacted all within the norms that the occasion dictated.


      Yan Kai didn't speak to him, he would merely add a sentence or two to Ji Mingyu's from time to time or sigh as he watched Yan Zheke feed her "crippled" boyfriend, his heart aching at his daughter's affection and attention towards others.


      Ke really had grown up...


      A whirlwind of dishes came and went. While Lou Cheng had an inhuman appetite, he didn't have to nerve to reveal this skill of his, and he instead attached the most importance to speaking and placed eating second.


      Yes, the food definitely wasn't bad, it was just that the portions weren't quite enough.... Fortunately, Empress Dowager had ordered enough for ten people...it really was something worthy of a martial arts aristocratic family. None of these details went unnoticed as he silently thought to himself.


      As the lunch winded down, Yan Kai looked him in the eyes, took a sip of tea, and for the first time was the one to initiate conversation as he asked,


      "Lou, what plans do you have for the future?"


      Plans? Lou Chen went blank for a moment and was in the process of organizing his words when Yan Kai added, "Your master and the military are very close, so these aspects are unavoidably entangled. Are you thinking of pursuing this path or entering professional competitions?"


      "Uncle Yan, I'm actually scared to death about this," Lou Cheng thought, and then, mocking himself, said, "If it wasn't for the fact that I had to, I wouldn't want to take any risks in life. Still, at least for today, entering professional competitions seems more suitable for me."


      Yan Kai faintly nodded. "Then what goal do you have? To achieve physical invulnerability?"


      "Yes," Lou Cheng answered calmly, "One thing is that my impression of fighters is all about physical invulnerability. I hope to be able to challenge their abilities and be capable of fighting with them for a long length of time. Two is..."


      Coming to this point, he paused, "Two... because Ke's grandfather and grandmother both achieved physical invulnerability."


      Speaking briefly yet powerfully, Yan Zheke listened with a furrowed brow, a smile just below the surface. She bit her lower lip and wanted to playfully retort, but she was hindered by the presence of her mother and father, and thus restrained herself.


      Yan Kai looked as if he was thinking about some previous events and seemed touched. After a long period of silence, he said,


      "Not bad. You shall work hard."


      Even though I've asked myself whether or not all that I've accomplished up until now could be considered enough, every time I think about my mother and father-in-law, who are Mighty Ones with Physical Vulnerability, I feel it's a bit more complicated... Also, Ming Yu's business largely relied on the Ji family and depended on those two with physical invulnerability.


      Yan Kai didn't again speak at length, and Ji Mingyu changed the topic, once again making the atmosphere more natural. At the last moment, she chuckled and glanced at Lou Cheng as she said, "Lou, are you going back to Songcheng tomorrow morning?"


      "Yes, my flight is a little after 10," Lou Cheng answered honestly.


      Ji Mingyu turned again and looked towards Yan Zheke. "Ke, you spend today with us. As we're at the Capital, we should pay a visit to some of our older family members."


      "Okay," Yan Zheke answered timidly.


      After saying their goodbyes, she escorted Lou Cheng to the entrance of the courtyard.


      "Is this it?" Lou Cheng asked dumbfoundedly as he turned his head and glanced at her.


      This wasn't at all what he had imagined his meeting with his mother and father-in-law would be!


      "Yes! If this isn't it, then what do you still want to do?" Yan Zheke blinked, asking with a smile.


      "Shouldn't they have asked me more specific questions about my situation? Like my name, what to call me, where do I live, how many people are in my family, are we wealthy or not..." Lou Cheng said with a slightly joking tone.


      According to other people's experience, meetings such as this were more like interrogations!


      "Ha..." Yan Zheke laughed brightly. "They don't want to dig up your specific situation. They figured that they shouldn't and rather should ask me privately. How could they just directly ask you? If they were that rude, it'd be so awkward!"


      "Fine." Lou Cheng exhaled.


      Yan Zheke pursed her lips, and with a sudden urgency, looked around and added,


      "Empress Dowager right now is really.... really happy about you.... She thinks that you've got a gift and that you're a reliable person. She says you can do whatever you want to accomplish.... She supports you. My dad... my dad has no choice but to accept."


      Lou Cheng's heart was filled with happiness, and he purposely said boastfully,


      "Could you say that the more the mother-in-law sees her son-in-law, the more satisfied she is?"


      "Don't flatter yourself!" Yan Zheke turned her head and rolled her eyes at him, but she was unable to conceal the joy in her eyes.


      The two of them exchanged a few words and then each headed back. Lou Cheng had no plans for the afternoon and was relaxed, but he was unable to find a few of his highschool classmates in the Capital to meet up, so all he could do was chat with them on QQ for a while and waste the day away.


      When it was night time, Qi Fang, according to her everyday ritual, gave him a call a little after 10 o'clock and shared how much praise she had received that day.


      The next day, Lou Cheng still did not slack off and went to the park nearby to do physical training as he always had.


      When he was almost finished, he suddenly noticed that his master at some point had come to get some alcohol from the stand beside him.


      "Lin Que has been seduced by the studies of Shushan, so he probably won't be coming back. What are your plans?" Geezer Shi pointed at him with his chin.


      Not waiting for Lou Cheng to respond, he heedlessly added, "Since I've helped your school president get the championship, I'm going to rest for a while as well. I suppose you're going to barely graduate as well and leave when it's time. Hey, brat, do you want to enter professional competitions or what?"


      So Master will also be going... Lou Cheng was dumbstruck for a moment. The thoughts in his mind were even more clear and definite as he muttered,


      "Master, I've gotten to this level in just a year and a half. I've progressed quickly and rapidly. This National Competition has revealed a lot of problems. I want to bear down and settle down for a year, really refine myself, and wait until I've entered the Inhuman Stage to enter professional competitions. Yes, this would be best.


      "Also, Lin Que has left, and you're also leaving, so I also must go. Isn't the Martial Arts Club just returning to its original state? Yes, it's stronger than it was before, but no one has time to truly dedicate themselves to growing. Next semester, more than half of us will be unable to advance to the Division level. This will bring a lot of setbacks, and it will be difficult for our Songcheng University classmates to support us once again. Their enthusiasm and zeal will return to its original point. They'll certainly be disappointed and saddened...


      "I think... I think I'll stay for one more year, bring in others, and wait for them to mature. This way, there will be some new blood afterward. When I leave again, heh... when that time comes, I'll be a senior and won't have too many classes, so I can leave early and get my diploma..."


      Geezer Shi laughed at what he'd heard, drank a sip of alcohol, and said,


      "I knew it. You kids are so high and mighty. I'm all too familiar with the BS you're spewing. Lin Que would suddenly break out his supernatural abilities, and you'd surely choose to stay for another year... however! When that time comes, this old man also has some things for you to do."


      "What things?" Lou Cheng asked, astonished.


      "It concerns the Nine Words Formula and the Emperor Yan Force. I'm going to choose a few simple things to let you do yourself. Since I've already let you have some rewards, I'll also give you some sharpening methods. When the times comes, we'll talk again." Geezer Shi seldom spoke with such seriousness.


      Because he didn't have the advanced Emperor Yan Force of the Zhu Rong Force in order to achieve the balance between fire and ice, Lou Cheng's Frost Force had never progressed towards the Ice Spirit Force.


      "Okay." Lou Cheng pressed down his curiosity and didn't pursue the topic further.


      At that moment, Geezer Shi tsked with his hands behind his back.


      "Settle down well, and before long you'll be able to enter the Inhuman Stage."


      …


      Finished with training, the Martial Arts Club members met up and headed towards the airport to fly back to Songcheng. Along the way, all of them laughed heartily, except for Lin Que, who knew he would go back to Shushan to study. There really was the excitement and feeling that they were returning to their hometown as heroes. Lou Cheng revealed to Yan Zheke that their master would also be leaving, and the two of them were downcast.


      After getting off the plane, a school bus came to pick them up. Lou Cheng and the others headed back to the Songcheng University's new school campus area that they had been away from for so many days.


      This time, the school bus stopped directly outside of the martial arts arena to allow them to first put the National Competition championship trophy in the awards hall. On Monday, they would go to meet the president to accept his commendation.


      As they got off the bus and headed towards the martial arts arena entrance, Lou Cheng leaned his head to the side and grinned as he remarked to Yan Zheke,


      "Suddenly, it's all a little unfamiliar..."


      While speaking, the two quickly arrived at the entrance and faltered, as the inside was filled with seated classmates. It was spontaneously filled with seated classmates, boys and girls, a few thousand of them!


      They hoisted up a banner, and as a group they shouted in unison,


      "We've arrived!"


      "We're champions! "


      The warm welcome assaulted their senses. Lou Cheng's heart opened, and he unknowingly smiled.


      "We're champions! "


      End of Part 2




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     421 Plans Always Fall Behind Changes
      Ding! A new message came in, and Lou Cheng picked up his phone. Apparently, his champion prize had arrived.


      "Your account XXXX has received 250,000.00 yuan at three quarters past 9 AM on April 30. The current available balance is 904,724.84 ..."


      Since the National Martial Arts Competition drew so much attention, the cost of copyrighting and admission tickets soared. Each team would have to at least spend 500,000 yuan to cover the car fare, board, and the lodging for two weeks. Along with the bus fare and rental for the practice field, etc. Anything remaining was used as a subsidy for the coach and team members.


      The prize for reaching top eight was 800,000, followed by 1,100,000 for semifinalists, 1,400,000 for second place, and 1,800,0000 for the champion.


      This time Songcheng University had been quite generous. They required only 300,000 yuan for administration fee after a deduction of 380,000 yuan to cover expenses. As a cadre, Geezer Shi, Lou Cheng, and Lin Que received 250,000 each.


      Yan Zheke received 100,000 since she had fought many matches and won the key battle at the Capital; Li Mao, who had fought strenuously and been injured, received 80,000; Cai Zongming, who had fought alone, received 60,000; Lin Hua, who joined the fight with the He Brothers, received 40,000; the three substitutes, Sun Jian, He Zi, and Wang Dali, received 15,000 each; and Li Xiaowen, who took care of the everyday errands, received 10,000.


      As for the rest of the team members, those who had taken part in the training but did not fight at the Capital, were subsidized with 3,000 yuan each. The rest of the bonus went into the public account of the martial arts club to cover the daily expenses, such as PC maintenance, parties, and meals ...


      "I didn't realize that I was already a millionaire ..." Lou Cheng was cheerful as he took a screenshot to show Yan Zheke the money he had earned.


      He was convinced that he was not rich. However, as a college student, he had no mortgage, no marriage or honeymoon plan, and he didn't have to pay for a nursery or elderly care.


      Besides, he received a set of red pellets from Ice God Sect every month. He lived on campus, and he only went out for one or two dates every week. So food wouldn't be a huge expense. Although he had spent some money on red pellets for the practice of theSwordsman Formula, his total expenses from mid-February to the present added up to less than 100,000.



      That was not a small amount to Lou Cheng, but when he agreed to the contract with Wu Ting's father, he got a 700,000 fee for the endorsement and a 250,000 bonus for winning the National Competition, he couldn't help feeling excited about the money he had earned.


      "Am I too simple?" he couldn't help but think.


      Yan Zheke replied, "I also received my bonus. We are millionaires."


      "We are a family of millionaires." Lou Cheng sent an emoji of "pushing up sunglasses with pride" and said, "I have packed up my things. Should I come over?"


      They had made travel plans for Labor Day. Considering they had already skipped class for two weeks, one more day wasn't going to be a big deal for them. So they decided to plan in advance and come back one day later than scheduled, thus avoiding peak traffic and increasing the length of the holiday!


      What a wonderful plan!


      "Wait a minute. I need to clean up my face," Yan Zheke said, bewildered.


      "Are you putting on makeup? This is serious and I'm flattered," Lou Cheng joked.


      "You complained that I am not taking you seriously when we go out on dates. Well, I'm making it up to you," Yan Zheke replied with a cute emoji.


      "I'm looking forward to it." Lou Cheng became lost in his fantasy.


      Lou Cheng put down his phone and looked around. He noticed Zhang Jingye, the Model Worker, carrying his package as he passed by.


      "Are you going on a trip with your girlfriend?" Lou Cheng asked with a teasing smile.


      "Sure. You too?" Zhang Jingye saw a huge bag on the table.


      "Yep. Skipping class this afternoon?" Lou Cheng laughed.


      Zhang Jingye found him amazing as he said, "I bet you are not attending class either."


      "I am afraid you are right," Lou Cheng answered playfully.


      "Aha!" Zhang Jingye replied with a smile as he exited the dorm.


      At that moment, Zhao Qiang was putting some books into his bag, and he commented,


      "I am so envious of all of you! I have to go to class!"


      "Hey, Qiang, you once mentioned an old classmate, didn't you?" Lou Cheng asked him.


      During winter break, Zhao Qiang had reconnected with one of his high school classmates who also happened to be a student in Songcheng. They caught up so quickly that Zhao Qiang once announced in the dorm that he was about to take the opportunity and get rid of his single label.


      Zhao Qiang coughed and looked shy as he said, "I'm just thinking ..."


      "Hey. It takes more than thinking to pursue a girl. You have to give whatever it takes and not be a coward." Lou Cheng sounded serious and then he smiled. "After you've failed enough times, you will get used to it. There is a walking casanova in our neighborhood, you should ask for some advice."


      Zhao Qiang sighed, saying, "If I were half as good as you, I would have won the girl's heart already!"


      "What can I do if you insist on your opinion?" Lou Cheng shrugged his shoulders. "Nevertheless when I am with Yan Zheke, I am practically nobody, and I mean it."


      He then tossed his hair jokingly.


      To be honest, Lou Cheng made a substantial breakthrough in regards to his relationship with Yan Zheke because they shared a common experience during the Challenge Tournament of the Warrior Sage, which had been an inspiring and miraculous journey. Lou Cheng's quality and potential had won Yan's heart.


      Bravery was necessary when pursuing a girl, but it wasn't enough. After all, any girl being chased after does not have to accept.


      "You are right..." Zhao Qiang understood and muttered, "Nevermind. Some adults reminded us to spend more time on studying instead of dating."


      "..." Lou Cheng was speechless as he watched Zhao Qiang leave the dorm with his bag.


      After killing time by playing with his cellphone, Lou Cheng finally received a message from Yan Zheke. "Five minutes and then you can come."


      "Sure." Lou Cheng replied as he carefully picked up his bag.


      He would rather wait the five minutes outside of Yan Zheke's dorm.


      As he left through the door, Qiu Zhigao came back with his face covered in sweat and said,


      "It's late. We're about to be late!"


      Seeing Lou Cheng, he put on a smile and asked,


      "Cheng, please be honest with me. Can I achieve the Amateur Third Pin before graduation?"


      After hard work, for four semesters, Qiu sadly found out that he was not a gifted student. Although he had passed all of the exams, he never ranked in the top 20%, so a scholarship was out. So he started to face the reality and picked up martial arts. He hoped to get a certificate of the Amateur Third Pin to be more competitive in the job market.


      "Based on your physique and strength, insist on working out three times a week and we will see," Lou Cheng answered affirmatively.


      Qiu Zhigao was exhilarated. Lou Cheng was a master in the college martial arts circle in his mind. If Lou found him OK, it would be OK.


      "Alright. If possible, could you give me some advice, or if there is anything I can do that will help, please let me know." Old Qiu was in a rush to the classroom, so he picked up his bag, and took a quick shower in the bathroom.


      "Everyone chooses a different path..." Lou Cheng sighed and left the dorm with his bag. He then glanced into the neighboring room and he was astonished with what he saw.


      Little Ming was either focusing on studying or writing something.


      "What's wrong with you?" Lou Cheng blurted out in confusion.


      Cai Zongming raised his head and answered gruffly, "What's wrong with learning? We will have almost a month without school, so I decided to keep up with my studies."


      And then he put on a relaxed smile as he said, "Though, Fang Yuan said so..."


      "Why don't you go to the classroom?" Lou Cheng asked absently.


      "Is there something wrong with studying in the dorm?" Little Ming asked in reply.


      "You cannot withstand the temptation of computer games there."


      "Actually, phone games are even more popular. I can play wherever I like, even if I don't have a particular place to study." Cai Zongming sounded quite serious.


      Lou Cheng retorted, "But the atmosphere in a classroom is different. Everyone else would be studying, and it would be shameful for you to play your phone game."


      Cai Zongming replied in disapproval, "Cheng, do you think I am the kind of person who would be influenced by others or the atmosphere? And you think that that would cause me to focus on my studies instead of games?"


      "No..." Lou Cheng gave him a thumbs up and then left through the door.


      …


      Lou Cheng only had to wait a few minutes outside of the no. 3 dormitory building before he saw his girlfriend come out carrying a new suitcase. She was pretty and elegant, like a fairy from a painting.


      Yan Zheke was beautiful when she put on some makeup... Lou Cheng couldn't help but stare, and Yan Zheke felt satisfied as she raised her head.


      "Here, let me." Lou Cheng tried to take her suitcase


      "Nevermind, you disabled man, I'm fine," Yan Zheke joked.


      Lou Cheng laughed, saying, "Seriously? Disabled man?"


      "Haha..." Yan Zheke chuckled as she responded, "You have to take my hand!"


      Lou Cheng smiled. "It's fine. I can walk and I can take my fairy's hand."


      Yan Zheke heard her cell phone ringing as she was about to say something.


      "It's my grandpa..." She looked at the screen in puzzlement before she answered, saying, "Hey, Grandpa?"


      "Hi, Ke ..." Ji Jianzhang said, while smiling, in his slightly old voice. "Bring Lou Cheng home this holiday so your grandma and I can get to know him."




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     422 Ji Family
      "Ah..." Upon hearing her grandfather's instructions, Yan Zheke was a little stunned. Unknowingly, she looked towards Lou Cheng, who was standing in front of her. She did not respond immediately.


      What is this all about!?


      Why did Grandpa suddenly ask me to bring Cheng to Jiangnan?


      He should have said it earlier!


      Lou Cheng had become someone with a strong grasp of the senses and emotions around him. He had already heard and expected the conversation. With a small smile, he gave his girlfriend a small nod to indicate to her that he did not have any issue.


      Even though he could not travel solo with Ke, which was disappointing, to be able to gain the approval of her elders meant that he could enter her home with his head held high. This would give her a great sense of security.


      Anyway, there would be more opportunities to travel together!


      After she had asked for her boyfriend's view, Yan Zheke somewhat recovered. She puffed her cheeks and said,


      "Grandpa, why didn't you say so earlier? Cheng and I have other plans. Alright, alright, we'll go over. We'll go and change our tickets now. "


      Ji Jianzhang gave a small smile and said, "I thought you would take the initiative to bring him to me. I just kept on waiting day after day. There was still no word from you, so I had to be be this thick-skinned and ask him myself. "


      After hearing all these words, Yan Zheke turned pink with embarrassment. She smiled forcefully and said, "I was waiting for the summer vacation... "


      She was worried that her silly Cheng would be bullied. So she intended to bring him to the Ji family after he had entered the Inhuman stage.


      "There's no better day than today! Send Lou's details over, I'll get someone to make arrangements." Ji Jianzhang chuckled.


      After the call, Yan Zheke peeked at Lou Cheng. She said in a cute but embarrassed manner,


      "This grandpa! We've already booked our tickets and accommodations! "


      "It's alright. A vacation to anywhere is still a vacation, right?" Lou Cheng laughed good-naturedly. "But then my strategy won't be of any use anymore. I can only rely on Coach Yan to lead the rest of the way! "



      "Don't worry, I won't lose you! " Yan Zheke's eyes transformed into a happy upwards arch. Then, to intentionally liven up the atmosphere, she said, "So upsetting! We can't get a full refund. This is all Grandpa's fault. We need to get him to give you a huge red packet! "


      "Red packet?" Lou Cheng asked, not understanding her words.


      "Jiangnan's customary practice. Those official couples, cough, cough..." Yan Zheke's face flushed bright red again. She looked away and twisted her head towards the sidewalk. "The first time the partner visits, the elders of the family will give a red packet."


      "Grandson-in-law's red packet!" Lou Cheng concluded with a bright smile.


      To be honest, he was not nervous about meeting Yan Zheke's grandparents. In his generation and teachings, the parent-in-laws were the ones directly related to his girlfriend. Hence, he would naturally pay more attention to them or feel more nervous about them. Grandparents were one generation away, so their "influence" would not be too great.


      As for the point about Mighty Ones with Physical Vulnerability, he had met them before, and it was not that he did not have them to support him!


      In the midst of their happy conversation, Yan Zheke sent Lou Cheng's details to her grandfather and waited to hear from him again. The details were already stored in her phone. Around them, the eyes of the Songcheng University's students followed their moves, as though greeting them as they walked past. Some even gathered the courage to ask for an autograph.


      Since he won the nationals, Lou Cheng had become someone known throughout the university. He was now an idol and someone that many juniors and even seniors admired. No matter where he went, he would attract attention. And people had been very kind to him.


      He was thinking about the strong sunlight and bright smiles from the people around and wanted to pull Ke along to look for a cafe to take some shelter from the sun and the crowd stares. Yan Zheke received a call about a couple of options regarding first class seats. The person even said that if she was not satisfied with any of the options, they could use the Shushan Study's private jet or airline.


      "The noon flight is good." Yan Zheke did not trouble the person too much and made a quick decision.


      After this, they would go by their original plan - to take the school bus out of Songcheng University and travel towards the airport. The only difference was that their flight had changed, and the destination on the air ticket had switched from the neighboring province to Jiangnan province.


      There was no delay, no postponement. The flight departed on time. As Lou Cheng drank the mineral water that he chilled, he asked his girlfriend casually, "Ke, I'm thinking of a question."


      "What?" Yan Zheke turned to look at him. Her eyes clear and looking at her boyfriend prettily.


      "Are you going on a trip with your girlfriend?" Lou Cheng asked with a gentle smile.


      Because he knew that he had passed the Empress Dowager stage, and that his father-in-law had no objections, he was asking this question for fun. Just a way to have some couple's interaction.


      Yan Zheke looked upwards. While biting her lower lip and her dimples appearing, she said, "Of course, I'll have to listen to them..."


      "Oh..." Lou Cheng was a little surprised.


      Ke, our dear Ke, this answer is not right!


      Seeing his reaction, Yan Zheke covered her laugh as she giggled. With great joy, she said, "You're so easy to trick! "


      After teasing him, she pursed her lips. As she considered the question carefully, she said, "I'm the one who's getting married. Not them. So my opinion matters the most. Of course, I'm happy that they have no objections. But even if they do, I'll still go for what I want. As long as I've the ability to feed myself, and have a good time, the opinions and views of others are just decorations. I never thought that the blessings of parents from both sides were important. Back then, Empress Dowager didn't give her blessings, but they're still living happily, right? "


      "I just realized that you're greatly influenced by Empress Dowager..." Lou Cheng broke out in a smile after hearing her.


      "What matters most is what is in front of me right..." Yan Zheke ended her sentence with a slightly higher pitch. She asked him, "How about you? If your parents don't like me, what will you do? "


      Damn, karma does bite back with such questions... Lou Cheng chided himself. He tried to squirm his way out with a compliment. "Our dear Ke, you're so cute, so kind, so beautiful, so lovable, my parents will definitely like you... "


      Then he stopped for a bit and with a more serious tone, he said, "My thinking is about the same as yours. Yup, brainwashed by Coach Yan. Also, maybe my wings have hardened. I now have some ability and the foundation not to rely on my parents. I could live well by myself, so their opinions would only be references. I'll be filial, but that doesn't mean that I have to listen to them all the time. Actually, at home right now, I make my own decisions. "


      His current position in the family was a natural progression. As long as he did not have a weak character and was not blinded by filial piety, he could make his own decisions. So since he had some career achievements, it was almost always him who was making the decisions on behalf of his parents, and not the other way round.


      Yan Zheke listened to Lou Cheng's words quietly. Her eyes sparkled, but right at the end, she burst out in giggles.


      "Cheng, haha, I just thought of a sentence. Haha, forgetting one's mother after marrying a wife! "


      "Hey! Be serious!" Lou Cheng helplessly raised his hands.


      For couples, as long as they were serious about their relationship, as long as they thought about spending their lives together and wanted to get married, they would have fantasies about the future together and discuss details of marriage life.


      Before they knew it, the plane started its descent and then landed steadily. After the plane had slid for a while, Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke got off the plane and walked towards the arrival hall.


      While making their way there, the girl received a call. She turned towards Lou Cheng and said,


      "Cheng, let's head to the carpark directly. Brother Lingqian is here to pick us up."


      The previous generation of the Ji family had "Ming" in their names. This generation it was "Ling". Ji Lingqian was not from Ji Jianzhang's bloodline, but from his brother's. He was a 28-year-old fighter. He had entered the Inhuman stage two years ago, a Fifth Pin. He was the Deputy CEO of the Ji family's security business and had good relations with Yan Zheke's side of the family.


      Yan Zheke's uncle's daughter, Ji Lingxi, was the closest cousin of Yan Zheke. Her second uncle had two children. Her older cousin, Ji Lingfang, and younger cousin, Ji Lingyun.


      "Brother Lingqian will come personally? Haha, every time you say his name, I think of pocket change ("Lingqian" is a similar-sounding word referring to pocket change in Chinese." )..." Lou Cheng joked. His left hand pulled the suitcase along, and his right hand held the girl's hand.


      Yan Zheke pressed her lips and laughed softly. "Actually, me too. Sometimes I burst out laughing when I call him. Uh, later, you can just call him Brother Lingqian with me. For my grandparents, you can call them Grandpa Ji or Grandma Dou. You could also call them Senior Ji or Senior Dou... "


      She talked about how he could greet them seriously.


      Before long, the pair had found the spot where Ji Lingqian had mentioned earlier. There was a navy blue sedan there.


      Ji Lingqian was tall and lean with good-looking eyes. He was calm and was dressed casually in dark colors. After seeing Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke walk over hand in hand, he shook his head and smiled.


      "Lou Cheng, didn't you hurt your arm? Don't spoil my sister. "


      "Brother Lingqian, what are you talking about? He's the one who is holding on to my hand and didn't allow me take my own luggage! " Yan Zheke whined a little.


      "Brother Lingqian." Lou Cheng copied how Yan Zheke called her cousin. He smiled and moved his right arm a little. "It got a little better already. "


      Ji Lingqian sighed. "Seeing you guys like that reminds me of my first love. Ay, get in. We can continue in the car. "


      The car door opened, revealing a spacious carriage. There was a curtain that separated the back seats and the driver's seat, blocking the driver's view of what was happening behind. The seats were facing each other. There was a small fridge and a bar. There was plenty in the car.


      After they had loaded their luggage, Lou Cheng did not explore the car further. He followed Yan Zheke and sat into the car. Ji Lingqian swiftly sat opposite them.


      "Anything to drink?" He smiled and pointed to the bar.


      "I'm good. I drank a lot on the plane." Yan Zheke looked at Lou Cheng. "How about you? "


      "I'm good too." He shook his head in response.


      In the midst of their chatter, the door closed and the car started to move steadily and quickly in front.


      Ji Lingqian crossed his arms in front of him and leaned backwards. He chuckled and said, "Lou Cheng, hmm, I'll just call you Lou. If I don't, we'll seem too distant. I've watched a couple of your key matches in the university tournament. Not bad! Ke has a keen eye for talent. So much better than me during the old days. No wonder Granduncle invited you over. "


      He turned towards Yan Zheke. "Granduncle has been a little hasty with this matter. Not everyone is around because it's the holidays. I'm around because I just came back from an exhausting work trip in the south. So I got called to add to the numbers. "


      "I thought Grandpa had it all planned out... This is also good..." Yan Zheke was slightly suspicious at first, then she let out a sigh of relief.


      In this case, Cheng only needs to meet the grandpa and the grandma. This would be less awkward, much more manageable.


      He was her boyfriend, so of course she would be worried and feel pity for him!


      "What's so good? Lingxi and Lingfang said they'll rush home to meet the favored fighter of the age." Ji Lingqian added mischievously.


      Regardless of whether Ji Lingqian was honest or sincere, after hearing this sentence, Lou Cheng felt somewhat proud.


      During the journey, it was mostly Yan Zheke and Ji Lingqian talking. Lou Cheng would just speak a couple of times. However, it was not awkward or too formal. When the car arrived at the Ji family's old mansion, it entered the premises. After the engine was turned off, Lou Cheng looked outside the window. Through the tinted glass, he saw a man with slightly white sideburns standing.


      "Grandpa..." Yan Zheke leaped off the car and greeted her grandfather joyfully.


      Lou Cheng followed behind and greeted the elderly man respectfully.


      "Good evening, Senior Ji."


      This was the famous "Heaven Leaning Sword". As expected, his aura was strong and deep like the seas!


      Ji Jianzhang smiled and gave a small nod. He looked at Yan Zheke and said, "Ke, you go in first to see your grandmother."


      Then he turned to Lou Cheng and said,


      "Lou, come, take a walk with me. "




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     423 Secret Boos
      "Grandpa..." Yan Zheke was shocked and scared. Instinctively, she took a step forward, putting herself in front of Lou Cheng.


      What does Grandpa want to do with Cheng after asking me to leave?


      Seeing his granddaughter's reaction, Ji Jianzhang laughed and shook his head. "Young lady, you're a total copy of your mother. Girls always help their lover, always support their lover... Don't worry. I'm just going to have a couple of words with Lou. "


      Yan Zheke's clear, bright eyes blinked a couple of times, almost saying "You must promise".


      "Ke, it'll be fine. Go in and see Grandma." Lou Cheng took a deep breath, pretending to be calm so that he could comfort his girlfriend.


      If Senior Ji wants to make things difficult for me, no one can save me from this match...


      "Then, I'll look for you later." Yan Zheke lightly squeezed Lou Cheng's right hand. She said this sentence on purpose before making her way into the house. She did not leave without turning back a couple of times. Meanwhile, Ji Lingqian asked the driver to park somewhere, pretending not to notice what was going on.


      "Let's go. We can make a round around the mansion. " Ji Jianzhang was wearing a loose, dark blue martial arts suit. His hands were placed behind his back as he walked slowly forward.


      "Yes." Lou Cheng walked at a good pace without hurry, intentionally keeping a step behind.


      The lake next to them was clear. The pathway had pretty flowers and grass. Ji Jianzhang was walking straight, and while he walked, there was a sense of longtime authority. He did not speak, but the more he was silent, the more oppressive he felt.


      If it were not because he had faced Mighty Ones like the Divine Enchanter of Sin Flame and the Queen of Thought, or didn't have the experience with his eccentric master, Lou Cheng would've probably been a nervous wreck who could not walk properly right now. But Lou Cheng was taking every step steadily, maintaining a respectful attitude towards his elder, and at the same time, exuding confidence. He did not scramble to find topics to fill the silence, all he did was enjoy it.


      I respect you. It's for no other reason than you're Ke's grandfather, and also an experienced senior in martial arts!



      After walking for a while, with his hands still behind his back, Ji Jianzhang looked ahead and laughed.


      "Although the two boys that Lingxi and Lingfang brought home were learned and could be considered elites, they couldn't even spend a few minutes alone with me, not to mention take a walk, without breaking out in cold sweat..."


      He shook his head lightly as he spoke.


      "Senior, I am just used to my master's drills." Lou Cheng answered humbly.


      He was filled with caution, feeling that Ke's grandfather's words could not be as simple as that.


      Senior Ji was world famous for his Yin-yang Magneto-optical Sword. Now that he was using the sword skill to enter their conversation, there must be some catch here.


      "With your master's temper and character, it must have been not easy to have a disciple like you." Ji Qianzhang let out a deep laugh. He turned and looked towards the sky. With a somewhat old but floating tone, he said, "Ke, that girl, she has always been physically weak. Congenitally deficient, so naturally, us, the elders, would spoil her a little more. "


      "I'll take good care of her and not let her experience anything bad." With simple words and a short sentence, Lou Cheng gave his promise.


      "How she could get better in the end, and grow up healthily, was mainly because her grandmother and I had taken some measures. We know her body condition even better than her parents. There's this one thing that we've always kept hidden from them," Ji Jianzhang said slowly. He had already lowered his eyes and kept them at the ripples of the lake.


      "What is it that has to be hidden from Empress Dowager, Father-in-law, and even Ke, herself?" Lou Cheng thought about it to himself. Somehow it did not feel right and he started to be anxious.


      With Senior Ji's status and position of today, with his love for Ke, he would never joke or cheat me on such matters!


      What's going on?


      Just as his mind started to run wild, Ji Jianzhang stopped walking suddenly and turned back to look at Lou Cheng. His eyes were sharp, and with his deep voice, he slowly said,


      "Because of Ke's body, it may be difficult to have children in the future. Can you accept that? "


      His words were like his sword - hard and sharp, with nothing to hide, straight to the heart.


      Phew! Lou Cheng heaved a huge sigh of relief. This, compared to the crazy thoughts of her not being able to live past 30, was so much better!


      For him, at this age, with the school environment that he was in, he did not have many thoughts about the next generation or children. At most, only when Yan Zheke talked about it. He did not have too deep a desire for it. His felt heart heavy after hearing this news, but what he felt was heartache for his girlfriend. He felt sorry for her.


      He looked up and met Ji Jianzhang's eyes. Lou Cheng was silent for a good ten seconds before he started to say something.


      "I'm with Ke because I like her, not because she can give birth."


      Ji Jianzhang squinted a little. He let out a small laugh and said,


      "Don't say it in such an absolute manner. You're still young. Perhaps you still can't imagine it. Wait till 10, 20, 30 years later. Everyone around you, your friends, your relatives, will all have children. Will you still say that you have no regrets? No disappointment? No wants? "


      Because he was describing it in such a vivid manner, even with Lou Cheng's current age and experience, he felt an indescribable sense of heaviness in the heart. His expression darkened a little.


      He shut his eyes and tried to imagine such a future. With a deep and firm voice, he said,


      "I can accept it. At most, we can adopt a child..."


      Even if we didn't adopt any children, there is a saying, right? When a couple is together, the love will eventually become family. Then I can just treat Ke as my daughter and love her like that. This could be considered having a child...


      Of course, this saying was not sufficient an explanation to someone outside their relationship!


      Ji Jianzhang's expression was solemn, his hands still behind his back. He then asked another question.


      "Even if you can accept, can your parents accept it as well? Your family?"


      The atmosphere of their talk was getting heavier and heavier. Lou Cheng could almost imagine the heavy silence of his parents. He took a deep breath and relaxed his fist. "Ke is marrying me. Not my parents, not my relatives. If they can accept it, it'd be good. If not, it doesn't stop us from being together. At most, for my family, I'll handle it, and not let them have any contact. Less contact, less interaction, less friction. "


      Ji Jianzhang looked at Lou Cheng solemnly. He did not continue asking questions. He turned back away and continued walking forward. With a relaxed tone, he said,


      "Not bad. But don't mind this too much. It's just difficult for her to conceive. Doesn't mean that there is no hope. With your vigor, qi, blood, and body that is almost entering the Inhuman stage, the odds are with you. "


      While he spoke, the corners of his lips edged up, revealing a faint hint of a smile. It was no longer as solemn and serious as earlier.


      Ah... Lou Cheng was stunned.


      No need to mind this too much... The odds are with you...


      This means that all the worry, struggle, and heartache that I experienced just now were just part of a speculation? Did I just waste my emotions for nothing?


      Grandpa, you're the serious and revered elder that Ke talked about. You're a senior that I respect and look up to. How could you? How could you cheat and test me with such matters! I'm just a kid!


      No, wait. He didn't cheat me. He just didn't finish talking about the matter...


      This... No one fears real skills, the only fear is a deep ambush!


      Ji Jianzhang could somewhat sense what Lou Cheng was thinking. He started to smile brighter. He stopped walking and waited for the young man. He tried to change the topic and said in a relaxed manner,


      "Actually, I've known for a long time that you both were together."


      "Huh?" Lou Cheng was lost once again.


      Known for a long time? For how long a time?


      Seeing that he had caught up, Ji Jianzhang put his hands behind his back once more and proceeded to walk slowly. Grinning, he said,


      "It's an old mansion, so the sound isolation is not too good. My ears are functioning rather well. Although I wouldn't intentionally go and eavesdrop or something, Ke, that girl, sometimes she gets too happy and doesn't bother to control her volume. Coincidentally, I walked past her room one day, and I heard a couple of lines. Plus, that boy from the Xie family mentioned it once or twice. You've always been performing well. During the New Year celebrations, that girl pretended and found a whole load of excuses just to get you the Nine Words Formula. So I just went with the flow and agreed. "


      Damn, Grandpa, you're so sharp! Does Ke know that? Lou Cheng's mouth was half opened. He was having difficulty in closing it.


      To think that we've been so careful all this while, secretly doing this and that. In the end, we didn't even manage to hide it from anyone!


      Wait, no. Just Father-in-law... Poor him...


      On that note, since Empress Dowager had a similar experience, Senior Ji would obviously be extremely sharp and sensitive to such signs.


      Once bitten, twice shy!


      At this very moment, within Lou Cheng, the impression of Ji Jianzhang had transformed. It was no longer a strict and serious senior, but a doting grandfather.


      If he were to say that his master was one who pretended to be deep but was a straightforward person, Senior Ji was the true cunning fox.


      "At that time, Ke was so pleased with herself..." After he said so, Lou Cheng almost laughed out loud. He mischievously thought about Ke's reaction if she were to hear about this.


      Ji Jianzhang shook his head and laughed. The next time he opened his mouth again, it was on a different topic already.


      "Lou, do you use the balance of ice and fire to do your Force Concentration?"


      As an elder of the Shushan Study, he had experience with countless cultivation theories and manuals. So, naturally, he could see more than the usual physical invulnerability Mighty Ones. Plus, his topics were jumping and changing constantly. Lou Cheng could never figure out what was next. Just like when facing the hard-to-predict sword moves, he could only be in a passive position.


      After thinking for a while, Lou Cheng answered frankly, "Yes, my master has some relations with the military. So I've had early exposure to cultivation, and together with other physical conditions, I combine them together. "


      Ji Jianzhang thought about it for a while and nodded. "Then, if you are to advance further, if you want to break into Inhuman, you need to have greater grasp and enlightenment about ice, fire, yin, and yang. "


      Before Lou Cheng could respond, he continued talking. "I entered martial arts with the Yin-yang Magneto-optical Sword, and I'm also in charge of the Taiqing Moral Chapter in the Shushan Study. So I have got a good grasp of yin and yang..."


      Just as Ji Jianzhang finished his sentence, Lou Cheng suddenly felt the sky darken. It was like the starry skies were almost touching the ground and melted into one with the lotus pond. Like dream, like reality.


      He did not speak another word. As he walked with Ji Jianzhang, he had his eyes half shut, trying to sense and feel the intriguing momentum of not being able to tell the state of fantasy from reality.


      Fire as yang, ice as yin, bright stars as yang, the endless dark sky as yin... To move as yang, to be still as yin, to turn naturally as yang, to counter as yin... Everything in the universe all come from one. Each and everyone, each and everything have two sides, yin and yang.


      With overflowing senses, Lou Cheng remembered what he had learned - zero as yin, one as yang, 00111100, infinite things, matters all can be described as such...


      Unknowingly, Ji Jianzhang had stopped walking. The surroundings were bright, flooding with sunlight. There were no deep, dark, starry skies.


      At this moment, the two men had returned to where they started.


      "Understand it already?" Ji Jianzhang asked as he gave a gentle smile.


      "A little," Lou Cheng answered honestly and somewhat embarrassedly.


      "A little is good." Ji Jianzhang laughed and waved his arm. He started to walk towards the main hall.


      Lou Cheng stood there, surprised. In his mind, countless thoughts started to fly.


      Ke and I aren't married yet. It's not convenient for Senior Ji to teach me anything directly. So he could only use such a method for me to feel and understand his yin-yang balance and momentum?


      This! Is he trying to give me a secret boost into Inhuman?




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     424 Blood Inheritance
      The minute Ji Jiangzhang entered the house, Yan Zheke rushed out and asked Lou Cheng with both worry and curiosity, "What did Grandpa say?"


      Looking straight at his girlfriend's clear eyes, he stifled his laughter and replied solemnly, "He's worried about our future children."


      Full score on his ability to summarize things!


      "What…" Yan Zheke appeared dumbfounded, blood rushing to her fair cheeks. She said in disbelief, "That's impossible! Grandpa would never talk about things like that with you!"


      How embarrassing! What kind of person would discuss future children in their first meeting?!


      Lou Cheng burst out laughing. Clearing his throat, he said, "In the beginning, Elder Ji said you were born weak and may have trouble giving birth."


      "Why am I unaware of this..." Yan Zheke blurted out.


      "He said only he and your grandma know about this. Even your parents are being kept in the dark." How could he stand his little fairy being upset? Of course, he told the truth. He added, "It's difficult, not impossible. Your grandpa is happy that I'm strong and close to reaching the Inhuman stage. Besides, I'm energetic and full of vigor. It's not a big deal. Either way, we're just like any other couple."


      Yan Zheke's lips parted as if she wanted to say something. In the end, she made a little complaint, partly irritated and partly amused.


      "You make it sound so perverted!"


      Before she could lament over her poor physical condition, all her feelings of dejection were dispelled. She felt rather complicated about this.


      "Perverted? Don't let Dirty Tong influence you too much. Either way, this proves that we're a match made in heaven," Lou Cheng said, taking the chance to flirt with his girlfriend.


      Yan Zheke rolled her eyes, but her eyes were full of laughter even as she snorted.


      "Grandpa must be testing you with this…"


      She didn't ask for Lou Cheng's reply. Grandpa's satisfied expression told her everything she needed to know!


      Her eyes gleamed with soft light when she thought of the answer, attitude, and determination Lou Cheng had prepared. Her heart leaped with embarrassed joy and for a moment; she was too embarrassed to look at him. She gave him a quick glance and put on a show of calmness. "Let's go and see Grandma."



      "Okay." Lou Cheng grasped her hand and walked with her side by side. On their way inside, he described how her grandpa helped him with momentum.


      "Love me, love my dog, you know?" An elated Yan Zheke began praising herself.


      "Yes, yes. It's all thanks to my association with my fairy." Lou Cheng burst out laughing as he continued,"Your grandpa was already aware that we were dating. The Nine Words Formula he gave me during the Spring Festival was actually a gift."


      "What?" Yan Zheke was briefly stunned and only reacted after hearing a complete explanation from Lou Cheng. She withdrew her hands to cover her face, voice shaking with embarrassment and nervousness as she said, "I don't want to go in anymore! Cheng, let's leave! This is too embarrassing! Grandpa and Grandma must have been laughing at me back then!"


      Back then, she was even proud of her acting skills and wisdom!


      Lou Cheng struggled to contain his laughter, appreciating his girlfriend's reaction. He finally reined in his feelings and began comforting the girl.


      "Forget about it!" Yan Zheke glared at her boyfriend before entering the living room. Though she had calmed down, she was still pouting.


      In the living room, Ji Jianzhang and Dou Ning were seated in the first two seats. They exchanged a look and a smile when they saw their dearest granddaughter's expression. Feigning ignorance, they asked Lou Cheng to sit.


      When it came to Ke's grandma, Lou Cheng had always carried a deep respect for her. She became a mother of three by the time she was 29 years old, yet was capable of reaching the physical invulnerability state. That was something worthy of respect for 99 percent of fighters out there!


      Some people's sole purpose was to pressure other people into succeeding! Ke's grandma was one of these people for easily achieving the physical invulnerability state!


      "Lou, you're nearly one year older than Ke, right?" Dou Ning appeared radiant and energetic, without any visible wrinkles on her forehead. Only her temperament forged through the passing of years indicated her age. She appeared to be in her forties and resembled Ji Mingyu and Yan Zheke.


      "That's right. My birthday is in February, hers is in December," Lou Cheng replied with a smile.


      Dou Ning gave a gentle nod. "Good. If you can reach the Inhuman stage within the year, there's quite a big hope for you to reach the physical invulnerability state soon. Hehe, it's better than what Ke's grandpa and I had in the past."


      "Grandma, you're also aware of the bet about Lou Cheng reaching the Inhuman stage this year?" Yan Zheke asked in astonishment, forgetting her 'anger' earlier.


      "Don't think I'm some old fogey who doesn't know how to use computers and smartphones. I've already learned how to use Weibo half a year ago…" Pretending to 'accuse' her granddaughter, Dou Ning said, "Ke, you're not concerned about me!"


      Yan Zheke was momentarily rendered speechless. Obediently lowering her head, she apologized 'sincerely' and said, "Grandma, it's my fault. What's your Weibo nickname? I'll follow your account immediately!"


      "The Swordsman Whose Longings Never Die." Dou Ning revealed her signature dimples on her face.


      "Er, that handle sounds like mine…" Yan Zheke was stunned.


      Her nickname was Swordsman Dislikes Drinking.


      "I made my nickname based on yours," Dou Ning replied cheerfully.


      Upon hearing the conversation between the grandparent and grandchild, Lou Cheng was dumbfounded. Ke's grandma differed from his imagination.


      He had expected a female fighter who managed to give birth to three children during the critical ten advancement years would be the traditional kind, tender, and gentle. But this was not the case at all!


      As for why she became a mother of three, there was no other reason. She simply wanted to and was willful...


      He finally knew whose genes Ke's mother had inherited the most…


      He subconsciously glanced at Ji Jianzhang and saw a helpless smile on the well-known Heaven Leaning Sword's face.


      Just then, Ji Lingqian entered the room as if it was his own house and found a seat. Using her Weibo nickname as the starting point, Dou Ning began telling them old stories about her travels across the country with her husband and swords.


      Back then, professional competitions were just newly established and none were standardized. There were limited matches a fighter could participate in, allowing them a lot of free time. In order to temper themselves as well as fulfill their dream to be a sword-wielding couple, newly-weds Ji Jianzhang and Dou Ning went to southern China and experienced many things there. There were stories of a sword-wielding couple parachuting off the mountain pass and killing the Great Sun, destroying the oasis cult, hunting down the famous Tame Head Wizard in the tropical rainforest, assassinating the head of missionaries in Moro city, slipping into unfriendly territories to catch a warlord…


      The couple didn't have anything to do with the military, so they had no need to be careful with their words. They were unlike Geezer Shi, whose boasting was dampened by his non-disclosure agreement. That was why Lou Cheng's attention was completely captured by those stories, as if he was experiencing them himself. Already familiar with the stories, Yan Zheke and Ji Lingqian occasionally raised questions and livened up the mood.


      Still lost in their old memories, Dou Ning and Ji Jianzhang continued telling stories over dinner.


      When they were done with dinner, the couple went out for their walk in high spirits. Ji Lingqian said to Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke jokingly,


      "They're relieved to have such a good grandson-in-law."


      "You're being too kind." Lou Cheng smiled. "It's all thanks to Ke."


      "Glad you know…" Yan Zheke rolled her eyes at Lou Cheng and giggled.


      Ji Lingqian suddenly paused, shaking his head and sighing. "Sure enough, empty vessels make the most noise. Lou, I was pretty worried before picking you up today. I thought you'd be arrogant and prickly due to your fame. But once we started talking, I realized you're self-confident and introverted in nature. You really have the air of a wizened master. Let me ask you a question. Are Peng Leyun, Ren Li, and other fighters like you?"


      "They're all different in their own ways, but their pride is ingrained in their bones. They don't manifest it outwardly, so it's pretty easy to get along with them," Lou Cheng said. He had answered based on his feelings.


      Ji Lingqian laughed. "Just as the rumors I've heard… So that's what the favored fighters of the age are like… When I was a Sixth-Pin warrior at 22, I was truly prideful and regarded everyone around me as idiots. Then karma hit and it took me more than four years to enter the Inhuman stage. I basically have zero hope for achieving the physical invulnerability state. I only realized then and started practicing as hard as possible. Sigh. If only I had met you a few years earlier and learned my lesson sooner. Perhaps I would've made better achievements."


      "Meet me in those years? I was still an ignorant child then," Lou Cheng deliberately joked. "Brother Lingqian, just think of Elder Liang Yifan. You still have a promising future ahead of you."


      Ji Lingqian merely smiled. "Do you guys want to go out and play? I can be your driver."


      "It's alright, Brother Lingqian. I know how to drive!" Yan Zheke grinned.


      "Okay, then. I won't be disturbing you two on your date." Ji Lingqian waved at them, smiling.


      After sending Lingqian away, Yan Zheke lifted her chin to look at her boyfriend. Raising her voice at the end of her sentence, she said,


      "Let's go, this elder sister will show you Che River!"


      "You can drive?" Lou Cheng had never asked her about this.


      "You want to worship me, don't you? I sat for my driving test in the summer of my senior year in high school!" It was as if there was a tail wagging behind Yan Zheke.


      "You're amazing!" Lou Cheng complimented her.


      He followed the girl into the garage and boarded a white car. When he saw her fiddling about for a while without starting the engine, Lou Cheng became confused. "What's wrong?"


      Before his voice even faded, he heard the sound of the engine roaring to life. Yan Zheke made a cheering sound.


      "Let's go!"


      She turned to look at him, smiling somewhat embarrassedly.


      "I haven't touched a car since getting my license…"


      Lou Cheng was shocked and his mouth made an O-shape. He then blurted out, "Can you still drive then?"


      "Of course! Driving is so easy! I just need to familiarize myself with it!" Yan Zheke turned her focus forward and started the car.


      Momentarily, Lou Cheng felt like he had accidentally boarded a pirate ship.




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     425 The Guests
      Outside the windows, the landscape was rapidly receding as the car drove on at a high speed. Seeing this, Lou Cheng was somewhat frightened and couldn't help trying to persuade his girlfriend.


      "Ke, there's no need to go that fast…"


      She shot him a glance and eased the accelerator to slow the car. She smiled in embarrassment and said, "When I see other cars overtaking us and driving so quickly, I can't help wanting to catch up to them. I think it's no big deal driving a little faster. Aren't they doing the same?"


      Lou Cheng was stunned. He began to look around carefully, measuring every detail of his surroundings.


      "What are you thinking about?" Wearing her white flats, Yan Zheke once again subconsciously pressed on the accelerator.


      He replied with a complicated expression on his face, "I'm considering my options if there's an accident: how will I gather strength, stop the car with my feet, and resist the collision."


      She eased her foot off the accelerator, not knowing what to say. When the car stopped at the crossroads, her voice carried both mirth and frustration as she asked, "Is my driving that bad? Except for the ignition part, I think the drive has been pretty smooth."


      "It's not the matter of bad driving. Ke, your way of thinking isn't right. You can't keep wanting to overtake others and drive so fast. You should control yourself and the car, or you'll suffer one day." Lou Cheng was worried Ke might get into an accident when he wasn't around some day. That was why he gave her a rare serious warning.


      Yan Zheke pouted. "Okay, I'll try my best."


      The light turned green and the car once again moved. Taking Lou Cheng's suggestion, she drove smoothly and steadily this time. Even though she wanted to surpass the other cars occasionally, she managed to control herself in time.


      "Where are we going?" It was only now that Lou Cheng relaxed and began enjoying the scenery of the skyscrapers and rivers of light outside.


      Yan Zheke smiled, revealing her dimples, and said softly, "Elder Sister will show you the night market of Lin Ning. Later, we'll go enjoy the breeze by the riverside."


      Lin Ning was the provincial capital of Jiangnan Province.


      "Night market? What kind of night market?" Lou Cheng recalled the flea market he once saw in Xiushan.



      "Hehe. You'll know when you see it." Yan Zheke cheerfully kept it a mystery.


      They finally stopped at a lively street half an hour later after driving on erratically. Lit up with countless street lights, the street was as bright as it was daytime. Many pedestrians chatted as they thronged the three rows of simply-decorated shops.


      Yan Zheke successfully parked the car with the help of the automated parking system, greatly satisfying her. She took Lou Cheng's hand and pulled him into the night market. There were many cheap products for sale here, such as clothes and phone covers. There were plenty of delicacies to be tried as well.


      Lou Cheng extended his left hand, putting it on his girlfriend's shoulders. He pulled her close to him so she wouldn't be touching any of the other night market shoppers.


      The two thronged the night market, occasionally stopping at the stalls. Yan Zheke was enjoying the fun of bargaining. Though she didn't think much of the goods, she wanted to experience life. She even criticized her boyfriend for never learning how to bargain. His conversation with the seller was always in this order: "How much?" "150." "Can you make it cheaper?" "Nope." "Okay. I'll take it."


      After walking for a while longer, she took him to a roadside stall and ordered two chicken chops. As they waited for their food, she said,


      "They started their business here and it's now a national chain restaurant. But only the food here is still delicious."


      "Really? I think the rest of the chain restaurants are still pretty good…" Lou Cheng asked with interest.


      "That's because you've never eaten anything good in your life." Yan Zheke shot him a 'despising' look and said pitifully, "Such a pitiful child. Let Elder Sister broaden your horizons!"


      Their orders arrived midway through their conversation. They each grabbed one piece of chicken chop and began eating as they walked hand in hand. As they walked, they both felt like they were high schoolers on a date.


      "Ah, you're right! This is really better than the one in Songcheng!" Chewing on the tender flesh of the chicken chop, Lou Cheng praised the food and devoured half of it within seconds.


      She looked up at him with a smug smile. "I told you so! You're the one who didn't believe me. Come, let's take a photo."


      She took out her phone and made Lou Cheng lean into her. They both lifted their chicken chops and took a photo together.


      She had never been the type of person who enjoyed taking photos. Yet, for some reason, she had begun recording all their interesting experiences together this way.


      Snap!


      Yan Zheke pursed her lips and tilted her head, putting on a pretty image. Lou Cheng remained indifferent and casual before suddenly chuckling. "Ke, didn't you say you rarely eat at roadside stalls? Where did you hear about this chicken chop stall?"


      "From my cousin! Sister Lingxi once took me here," Yan Zheke replied, a sweet smile appearing on her face.


      Lou Cheng nodded. "Sister Lingxi really knows how to enjoy life."


      Ji Lingxi was the eldest female in Yan Zheke's generation within the Ji clan. She was four years older. Though born with abnormal strength, she didn't like martial arts and chose to major in management. But she still reached Professional Ninth Pin in her first year in university and touched the threshold of the Dan stage in the second year after graduation.


      She was a particularly playful person. She had dabbled in everything from skateboarding, surfing, singing, dancing, traveling, hiking, sailing, to collecting things. She was also interested in experiencing different local customs and exploring different food stalls and interesting shops. All in all, she was the kind who enjoyed both formal and casual life.


      As they chatted and laughed, they walked from the chicken chop stall to the end of the night market. They tasted food from stall after stall, all recommended by the food expert Ji Lingxi.


      They took a detour, finally returning to their car outside the night market. They drove to the riverside and took a walk in the breeze to help with their digestion.


      Ning River was broad and rippled with jade blue water. The water vapor refreshed their skins and souls. Pulling Lou Cheng by hand, Yan Zheke balanced herself along the guardrail, staggering and giggling like a child.


      Taking a look at her watch, she said with regret, "It's pretty late. We should go back…"


      "We can stay out tonight," Lou Cheng said half-jokingly.


      Yan Zheke rolled her eyes and replied in his tone, "Then my grandparents will chase you down through eight whole streets!"


      "I'm trembling..." Lou Cheng joked.


      It was his first time visiting his girlfriend's family, and he was already abducting her away. Was he asking for a beating...


      They went inside the car from both sides. Yan Zheke was about to fasten her seatbelt and start the engine when she felt a great force pulling her to Lou Cheng's chest.


      "You…" When she lifted her head, she met Lou Cheng's burning eyes.


      Considering the fact that they had shared a bed during the National Competition, Lou Cheng had long became deprived of his girlfriend's affections after being under the careful watch of Yan Kai and Ji Mingyu.


      It was easy to go from depravity to decadence, but difficult the other way around!


      Yan Zheke closed her eyes and straightened her neck, cooperating with him.


      Curled up on the passenger seat, she was almost sitting on his lap with their bodies pressed tightly together.


      He had observed the surroundings earlier and knew no one was around. As he kissed her passionately, he began touching her. His hand gradually moved from her shoulder to her back and legs, and finally somewhere more private.


      "Ke… Can this seat… be reclined…" Lou Cheng asked eagerly when his kiss fell next to her ear.


      He couldn't do anything in this posture!


      "I-I don't know… Look it up online…" Yan Zheke whispered vaguely, not knowing what she was actually saying.


      Right now? He was unwilling to divert his attention at all, wanting nothing more than using his Force Concentration to knock the seat down.


      Just then, her phone rang. The ringtone went on and on.


      Yan Zheke pushed him aside, glaring at him with her glistening eyes and a red face. She bit her lips and took out her phone to answer the call.


      "Sister Lingxi?"


      "Oh, you're back? Yeah, we're outside. I took Cheng to the night market."


      "Okay. We're about to go home."


      Lou Cheng smiled wryly as he helped her straighten her clothes.


      "Hmph! It's too dangerous to stay with you!" Yan Zheke returned to the driver's seat and calmed herself. Her cheeks began flushing.


      Lou Cheng adjusted his pants. "Hasn't it been some time since we've been intimate?"


      She glared at him, biting her lower lip. "Just wait until these few days are over. Either way, I'll be on my period tomorrow."


      She burst out laughing.


      "Got it… Well, where's your aunt?" Lou Cheng changed the topic.


      Having calmed herself down, Yan Zheke started the engine and answered, "She went to Shushan Study to take care of my brother."


      Their drive home was smooth without any accidents. 40 minutes later, they arrived at the old house of the Ji clan.


      Having parked their car, they entered the front gate and overheard people talking incessantly.


      "This is 300,000 yuan per gram… It has the aroma of herb… It can cure many diseases…"


      "It's just so-so. It's not as good as your string of beads, Brother Li…"


      "My beads are just made of ordinary materials, but an eminent monk from Daxing Temple blessed these beads and chanted scriptures in front of them for half a year… Remember my bad luck last year? My father laid down his pride and begged for this string of beads. It's hard to say how much it truly costs…"


      "That's enough. Don't brag about this each time you come. If you're that great, get us a string of beads each…"


      …


      What was that... Lou Cheng was astonished. He completely didn't comprehend the conversation earlier.


      Yan Zheke glanced at him and said in a low voice, "Don't worry about them. That's the kind of nonsense they like playing with…"


      She twisted the knob and pushed open the door. They saw two men and two women chatting in the living room.


      Lou Cheng recognized Ji Lingxi at once without any need for introductions. The girl resembled Yan Zheke's mother even more than Yan Zheke herself. Tall and graceful, her only flaw seemed to be her lackluster eyebrows.


      "You're back?" Ji Lingxi's attire of white T-shirt, jeans, and heeled sandals showcased her perfect body shape. She stood up and greeted them with a smile. "Come, let me introduce you to Zhang Li, the young master of Jingdi Corporation. His father is very close to the eminent monks in Daxing Temple."


      Zhang Li's skin was tanned with ordinary facial features. There was a string of brown beads wrapped around his wrist.


      Ji Lingxi pointed at the other man, smiling. "This is Han Zhengcao. His mother is the chairman of our Provincial Martial Artist Association."


      Han Zhengcao was more handsome, but his dark circles were dark, indicating his lack of vigor. There was a green pendant in his hand.


      Ji Lingxi turned to the girl with long, curly hair. "This is Guo Guo. Ke, you should know her. We dined together several times. Her father is now the sole person-in-charge of his company."


      She then pointed at Yan Zheke. "I don't need to introduce her, do I? My cousin Yan Zheke. So many boys pursued her, but some other guy managed to get her… Ke, introduce him yourself."


      Yan Zheke looked at Lou Cheng and thought for a while. Her lips curved and she said, without any fanfare,


      "This is Lou Cheng."




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     426 Things Are Different Now
      "This is Lou Cheng."


      She introduced him simply, without fanfare, but it was enough to turn the mood in the room solemn. Zhang Li and the rest of the guests momentarily became quiet.


      "Look, this is the favored fighter of the age." Ji Lingxi was the first to break the silence. Smiling, she turned to Yan Zheke and complained, "They were so excited and curious about Lou Cheng that they came here to wait for you shamelessly. They wanted to see the favored fighter of the age in person to confirm if he really had three heads and six arms."


      "So I'm a monster in your eyes?" Lou Cheng joked.


      "No, no, no! You reached the top Sixth Pin after only learning martial arts for one and a half years. You're not a monster but a superman!" Zhang Li smiled.


      This relatively level-headed man kept rotating his string of brown beads.


      "Yes, a superman!" Han Zhengcao gave an exaggerated laugh before asking in confusion, "Lou Cheng, why do I find you a little different from the one I see on screen?"


      "Different?" Lou Cheng smiled, looking at Yan Zheke and finding the same confused expression on her face.


      He had just appeared on the screen five or six days ago!


      Guo Guo was a petite girl, but her facial features were rather imposing. She thought for a while and replied, "You're a little different. On screen, you're, uh, more aggressive. The kind of person no one will dare to meet eyes with."


      "Haha, I got it! In a fight, I'd release my momentum to pressure my opponents. In my post-match interviews, I usually haven't come out of that state," Lou Cheng replied.


      The one they saw on screen was probably his 'combat form'!


      Zhang Li nodded. "I see. You're calm and kind in your everyday life, but the atmosphere on the arena sets you ablaze."


      None of them was a fan of martial arts, and they rarely read related news unless it was about the most popular competitions. Therefore, they paid little attention to such details even though they had many Mighty One elders.


      With such an ice-breaker, the atmosphere in the room turned warm and lively. Ji Lingxi and her guests sat down and began chatting happily.



      Their main topic was obviously Lou Cheng and what he had done. Noticing Lou Cheng's lack of interest in the beads, jade, and ambergris, they didn't bring those up again. Instead, they began gossiping about the martial arts field.


      Lou Cheng wasn't concerned about their conversation. Even if he couldn't afford any one of their collections, he never had an inferiority complex and instead wanted to take the opportunity to broaden his horizons. So he listened on quietly.


      Nothing could affect his self-confidence.


      As the clock ticked, Lou Cheng took a look at his phone and stood up with a smile.


      "It's getting late. I need to rest. You guys continue with your chat."


      He was speaking normally but gave the rest the feeling that he resisted any form of rebuke. Ji Lingxi stood up and asked in confusion, "So early?"


      "Ever since he started learning martial arts, he has been operating on an old man's schedule. Well, me too!" Yan Zheke explained in her boyfriend's place and made up an excuse for her to leave as well.


      "It's time for us to leave too." Zhang Li smiled. "We're going sailing tomorrow. Would you like to join us? We can go fishing in the sea breeze. There are several covert boxing matches on the high seas too."


      The existing Challenge Tournaments were exciting but not stimulating due to the presence of referees. To fulfill their desires, some rich folks would organize covert Challenge Tournaments in areas of conflict or on the high seas without referees!


      Even though there were no deaths, the audience would at least see some blood and flesh during these ferocious matches. That would awaken the beast within them.


      Of course, the fighters willing to fight in these covert matches and earn quick money were not that great. If they were able to reach the Dan stage or the Sixth or Seventh Pin, there would definitely be people willing to be their guarantor, or the opportunity to repay their debts slowly would arise even if they were heads over heels in debt.


      Glancing at Yan Zheke, he rejected them with a smile. "No, thanks."


      Tomorrow, he would stay at home with Ke and help her massage her stomach. When he made his travel plans earlier, he had already accommodated a day for this task.


      "Okay, we'll invite you again the next time. With your Listening skill, you're sure to get plenty of fish." Zhang Li didn't insist on his offer. He left with Han Zhengcao and Guo Guo and boarded his SUV.


      He took off the string of brown beads and wrapped it around the gear lever. He was deep in thought for several minutes before asking, "What do you think about Lou Cheng?"


      Han Zhengcao rubbed his eyes and replied seriously, "He's pretty kind, reserved, and friendly."


      "But… don't you think his momentum is quite strong and terrifying? We could only obey his words earlier…" Guo Guo frowned.


      "Haha, that's normal. It's the confidence of a Mighty One, accumulated little by little from his victories. My mother's the same. Even though she has never used harsh words to talk to me, I can only obey all her advice without being able to offer a different opinion," Han Zhengcao said self-deprecatingly. "As the favored fighter of the age, Lou Cheng is even more terrifying than my mother."


      "Yes." Zhang Li started the engine and moved the car.


      "Either way, he'll be sure to morph into the Inhuman stage and become a physical-invulnerability warrior in the future," Han Zhengcao said. "We're all weak and don't have the heart to practice. It's a good idea to befriend someone like Lou Cheng!"


      "Wow! I didn't think our Master Han, who loves alcohol, cars, and beautiful women, would say something like this," Guo Guo teased.


      Han Zhengcao was usually the stereotypical playboy.


      "This is called preparing for danger in times of peace!" he retorted.


      Zhang Li nodded in agreement. "I'm glad you understand. That proves my persuasion all this time isn't useless. Why do you think Lingxi went home today? Just to see her cousin?"


      "Isn't it?" Guo Guo and Han Zhengcao asked in astonishment.


      Zhang Li snickered. "The Ji clan is your typical martial arts aristocratic family. They may be influential and rich, with many properties under their name, but within the family, they're still ranked according to strength…"


      Twirling her long, curly hair, Guo Guo interrupted with a frown, "Uncle Ji gets on quite well with his three siblings."


      "That's because their parents are holding down the fort. Don't you know where there are people, there's the pugilist world; and where there are money and power, there's conflict? Uncle Ji kept so many mistresses just so he can have talented children to lay a foundation for himself. But none are promising enough for him to bring home." Zhang Li sighed. "You don't know how many tears Lingxi has shed for this. She seems to play around with all her heart, but she knows this truth better than anyone.


      "She knows she won't go any further in her martial arts career, and she doesn't want to fight for anything. She just wants to maintain her current position and lifestyle. That's why keeping up her relationship with Yan Zheke, who she already gets along with, is the most practical choice. Never mind the fact that Yan Zheke also has a truly great fighter for a boyfriend…"


      Lou Cheng might've thought that there were many tough fighters close to his age after meeting so many favored fighters of the age recently, but the truth was, such fighters were pretty rare. The only person Zhang Li and Han Zhengcao knew who was even close to that level was Lin Que.


      In a world where a high-ranked Inhuman fighter of the Dan stage could enter the upper levels of civil service, it was completely reasonable to assume Lou Cheng, a favored fighter of the age likely to reach the physical-invulnerability stage, would be greatly favored in the Ji clan.


      "Brother Li…" A stunned Han Zhengcao couldn't help gasping. "You've kept so many secrets to yourself!"


      He could see through everything so clearly!


      Zhang Li sneered. "With the size of my clan, do you think I could survive if I'm not at least that smart? Do you think I would still be the young master?"


      He paused and sighed again. "I truly admire Lou Cheng and his fellow fighters. They're invulnerable and have no need to fear all these struggles for power… Either way, I'm looking forward to the opportunity to help or get help from him."


      Whichever way it was, he could develop a closer friendship with Lou Cheng.


      …


      Under the watchful eye of a physical-invulnerability mighty one in the house, Lou Cheng didn't attempt to sneak into his girlfriend's room and instead stayed inside the guest room of the Ji clan's old house. After washing up and lying on the bed, he received a call from his mother.


      After chatting for a while, Qi Fang said mysteriously, "Your brother hit the jackpot lately!"


      "Ah?" Lou Cheng wore a dumb look on his face.


      Lou Yuanwei had really succeeded in his business? He didn't tell Lou Cheng!


      "Erzi has expanded his business to Xiushan and asked your brother to help him. He even gave your brother shares," Qi Fang said, gossiping with great enthusiasm.


      She didn't envy Lou Yuanwei. After all, her son was far more promising, and not everyone could match up to his achievements.


      Lou Cheng momentarily blanked.


      "Who's Erzi?"


      Qi Fang was speechless for a while. "One of our relatives from Qingfu, our hometown. He's been visiting your grandparents often recently."


      "Ah, I remember him! He's pretty nice," Lou Cheng said.


      "But short-sighted. He actually asked your brother to help him with his business. Doesn't he know how many businesses your brother has failed in?" Qi Fang said, insisting on her perception that Lou Yuanwei didn't have the talent for business.


      Lou Cheng laughed. "It's fine. We're not the one suffering the losses."


      "That's right. Oh, by the way, your father got promoted recently. Fatty Guo is letting him manage the entire factory and even wanted to give him some shares… Cheng, is it thanks to you? Fatty Guo mentioned this as soon as you became the national champion. As the saying goes… Um, what is it again?" Qi Fang was not well educated and had forgotten what she was supposed to say.


      "Gild the lily," Lou Cheng chimed in. "Fatty Guo is a pretty decent guy. Didn't he help us through hard times in the past?"


      "Yeah. But if he really asks for your help, don't worry about us. Do it if you can and just say no if you can't," Qi Fang advised with concern.


      "Yes, yes," Lou Cheng replied, smiling.


      When the conversation ended and the surroundings fell into silence once again, Lou Cheng sighed with emotion.


      Ever since he was crowned champion in the national martial arts competition and was even dubbed the favored fighter of the age, everything around him was changing. These changes might have begun a long time ago, but they were never this clear. Without him even opening his mouth, the fate of his relatives was also changing...


      Only now did he truly understand what it meant to experience a change in one's social identity and position.




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     427 The Sudden News
      While Lou Cheng was engrossed in his conversation with his mom, Ji Lingxi had removed her shoes and was seated cross-legged on Yan Zheke's bed. She smiled faintly at her cousin, who had just put on her nightdress.


      "Ke, you're so good at keeping secrets! Am I still your sister? I didn't even know you were dating until I saw you two embracing in the finals several days ago!"


      If Yan Zheke heard this yesterday, she would have felt a little smug for being able to keep her relationship a secret. But after Lou Cheng told her the reality of her family, all her self-satisfaction dissipated. She replied helplessly, "I didn't lie to anyone. Grandpa and Grandma already knew about it! Isn't it because you're so busy enjoying life that you didn't spare a thought about your sister?"


      She had kept everyone in the dark, yet who shouldn't know the most - her father - found about it!


      She wondered if there was any meaning at all to the secrecy and caution she and Lou Cheng adopted back then!


      Momentarily tongue-tied, Ji Lingxi combed her hair and said, "Didn't I tell you there were a few boys who wanted to pursue you? What did you say then? You said you don't want to date at the moment! Weren't you lying to me?"


      Midway through the conversation, she mimicked her cousin's voice and tone.


      "I didn't lie! I already have a boyfriend then, how can I find another? I have to be faithful in my relationship. How can I cheat on him?" Yan Zheke argued with faux seriousness.


      As she said that, her lips curled with unconcealable mirth.


      She had already prepared her excuses!


      The corners of Ji Lingxi's mouth twitched. "I really want to pinch your cheeks!"


      Yan Zheke used to have a baby face in her childhood, causing Ji Lingxi to nearly develop the habit of pinching her cheeks.


      Without waiting for her cousin to reply, Ji Lingxi changed the topic and gossiped with great enthusiasm,


      "Ke, when did you start dating Lou Cheng? How long have you been together?"


      Ji Lingxi had asked similar questions on QQ, but Yan Zheke would skilfully deflect the topic. She didn't really want to share her private romance with Lou Cheng with others, even if it was her cousin.



      Now Ji Lingxi had finally found the chance to ask her face to face!


      Yan Zheke frowned. She bit her lips and replied reluctantly,


      "We started dating on Valentine's Day last year…"


      She suddenly felt a sweetness in her heart and added subconsciously, "He had been pursuing me for almost a semester before that."


      She really wished she could experience being pursued by Lou Cheng once again! Back then, she was still ignorant and didn't manage to enjoy the feeling.


      Recalling the introduction of Lou Cheng she had read, she asked, "Valentine's Day last year? He hadn't reached the Ninth Pin then, right?"


      "He was probably a weak Ninth-Pin fighter then," Yan Zheke retorted seriously.


      Ji Lingxi took a deep breath and her eyebrows knitted. She said in astonishment, "In other words, he was still a rookie without any signs of being the favored fighter of the age when you started dating? Ke, you really have an eye for choosing your boyfriend…"


      "I didn't expect him to be so talented and reach the Sixth Pin in such a short time." Yan Zheke looked up and bit her lower lip. "I just found him to be a pretty simple boy who was particularly attentive to me. He was motivated and willing to work hard. I only fell in love with him after talking to him and experiencing many interesting moments in the Challenge Tournaments together…"


      Her voice gradually became soft and happiness was apparent on her face as she spoke. Ji Lingxi could even read the happiness in her watery eyes.


      For a moment, Ji Lingxi felt like she couldn't meet her cousin's eyes. That was how glaring Yan Zheke's happiness was.


      Why? Why were all her three boyfriends trash without any sense of responsibility? Why was Ke so lucky to just simply get a favored fighter of the age by choosing a random Ninth Pin rookie classmate?


      Was there something wrong with her eyesight? Or was it her criteria for choosing a boyfriend?


      When Yan Zheke was done reminiscing, she turned toward Ji Lingxi, who appeared stunned. She waved her hand in front of her cousin. "Sister Lingxi?"


      Ji Lingxi came to herself and decided not to continue this depressing topic. She laughed. "Ke, did my call earlier disturb you and Lou Cheng?"


      Yan Zheke was momentarily confused before realization dawned on her. Her cheeks immediately flushed when she recalled what she had done with Lou Cheng in the car. She still blurted out in embarrassment,


      "No!"


      "Heh. I'm pretty experienced after all. Never mind my first love, I've already gone through a couple of serious relationships. Do you know what you sounded like on the phone? Even as a woman, I was attracted by you! What would a man think? I'm sure they'd kneel down and satisfy all your demands," Ji Lingxi joked, pointing at her cousin's clavicle. "Isn't there evidence here?"


      Yan Zheke looked downward in bewilderment and saw the visible love bite on her clavicle.


      Her top earlier had a tulle fold collar and she was careful to mask the love bite in an act of elegance. Not even Lou Cheng was aware he had left a mark behind. It was only when she put on her nightdress that everything was revealed.


      She felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment and wanted nothing more than to dig a hole and hide in it. She vaguely felt like she was caught committing adultery.


      Embarrassed and frustrated, she jumped out of bed and rushed to the full-length mirror. She took a photo of her clavicle and sent it to Lou Cheng.


      "It's all your fault! My cousin saw it!"


      Lou Cheng was just done lamenting how his relatives were experiencing a change in fate because of him when he saw his girlfriend's message. Replying with a blushing emoji, he hurried to explain, "I was too excited then…"


      Witnessing what Yan Zheke was doing, Ji Lingxi suddenly felt dejected.


      This was the kind of pureness that one could only experience with their first love!


      Her first relationship ended without fanfare and was not even worth calling 'first love'. She then threw herself headfirst into her second relationship and gave it her all. But when it ended, she felt as pained as if she was hovering between life and death. By the time she dated her third boyfriend, she felt like an aged woman who did more thinking than doing. She had already lost that kind of pureness.


      When Yan Zheke returning to bed with an embarrassed face, she controlled her mood and put on a smile.


      "Ke, let's sleep together tonight. I still have many questions for you!"


      "… Okay." Yan Zheke hesitated for a while before agreeing.


      When Ji Lingxi returned to her room to shower and put on her nightdress, Yan Zheke threw herself onto her bed. She buried her face in the pillow, her legs swinging behind her.


      She was planning to calm herself down and reduce the redness on her cheeks, but inexplicably recalled what had happened on the riverside and her excitement at the time.


      The familiar scene crossing her mind, she suddenly sat up and clicked open the search engine on her phone while biting her lower lip.


      She seriously recalled the brand and model of the car they drove and typed some words in the search bar, her eyes filled with embarrassment and joy.


      "Can XXX car's passenger seat be flattened? How to do that…"


      The results came up instantly. She had just gone through the top few results when she received Lou Cheng's call.


      "Ke, what's the brand and model of the car we drove?" Lou Cheng asked.


      Yan Zheke flushed when the familiar question came up again and she replied with gnashed teeth,


      "Pervert!"


      Pervert? Lou Cheng was confused by the weird answer.


      He simply found the car to be fast and steady. If he wanted to buy a car someday, he could consider the same model.


      How did he become a pervert?


      …


      Not managing to get an answer out of Yan Zheke by the next morning, Lou Cheng temporarily set it aside. He woke up on time, washed up, and went outside. He found a corner in the Ji clan's old house and took in the fresh air. He started visualizing the Zhe formula as well as its corresponding Internal Training Methods of Frost Force and Zhu Rong Force.


      His injured arm would only be healed by late May, so he was in no hurry to practice his movement. Instead, he began withdrawing his qi and blood to get a better understanding of Force Concentration on the base of ice-fire balance. At the same time, he started digesting the Yin and Yang information from Yan Zheke's grandpa.


      The key to the Inhuman stage was enhancing his root pulp and controlling the spirit with his willpower before gradually changing himself with Internal Training Methods. As time passed, the sign of supernatural ability would appear within his body and his physical condition would also morph. But that didn't mean that anyone with supernatural ability could enter the Inhuman level without putting in effort.


      It was one thing to gain skills after entering this field, but another to enter this field because of some skills. The two concepts were fundamentally different!


      Lou Cheng's Ice and Flame supernatural abilities were awakened by his Jindan and driven by the mixed power within his body. They were different from his Frost Force and Zhu Rong Force. To enter the Inhuman stage, he still needed to polish himself with Internal Training Methods and adjust his root pulp to meet the need of his kungfu instead of his Jindan. When his supernatural abilities could mesh with Frost Force and Zhu Rong Force perfectly, he would acquire the main key to the Inhuman stage.


      He withdrew all his qi, blood, spirit, and force to keep them in balance. He then released them to form a flood of power… He did this to observe what was happening within his body, especially the changes of Yin and Yang, ice and flame.


      Before he knew it, the sun had risen and his surroundings became dazzlingly bright. He withdrew his stance and ended his morning exercise.


      He hadn't reached the standard of a top Sixth Pin fighter in all aspects. He still had a long way to go before he could enter the Inhuman stage.


      With a calm mind, he returned to the house. He came across Ji Jianzhang and Dou Ning, who nodded at him with satisfaction.


      Ji Lingxi went sailing after breakfast, leaving Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke at home. Yan Zheke returned to her room when her stomach started hurting, with Lou Cheng sneaking in with her. He laid down beside her, massaging her stomach with his warm palm.


      Burying herself in the familiar chest while enjoying meticulous care, Yan Zheke felt like her pain wasn't that bad.


      She glanced at Lou Cheng and recalled her conversation with Ji Lingxi.


      "Ke, are you still going abroad?"


      "Of course."


      "You're willing to leave Lou Cheng behind? You're not, well, worried something may happen?"


      "I believe in him, as well as myself."


      "Then enjoy your relationship. You only have a year and three months left."


      Yan Zheke became dejected upon recalling Ji Lingxi's words. She couldn't help moving closer to Lou Cheng.


      She only had one year left. She should cherish each day with Lou Cheng.


      ...


      After Yan Zheke's pain from the first day of her period receded, she and her boyfriend followed 'tour guide' Ji Lingxi and had a good time in Lin Ning. On the afternoon of the 4th, they left on their return journey.


      Other than Yan Zheke's aunt, who was in Shushan Study to take care of Lin Que, her two uncles and two cousins, Lingfang and Lingyun, gave a thousand excuses to not come back and see her.


      After returning to campus, Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke once again lived productive lives. Their special training remained on schedule each day and they also took on additional classes to make up for the lessons they had missed. Luckily, they had spent most of their spare time studying during the National Competition after analyzing their opponents. They managed to catch up with other classmates and good graces were within their grasp.


      After the end of her last exam, Yan Zheke was about to go and wait for Lou Cheng when the monitor told her to go to the dean's office.


      She texted Lou Cheng: "Cheng, I'm going to the college office. Wait for me!" She then followed the monitor to the dean's office, where she saw three students in the same co-cultivation plan as her.


      The half-bald dean cleared his throat when he saw that everyone was gathered.


      "Iven University requested to bring forward the date of the co-cultivation plan date. They hope you'll go there in your third year, one year ahead of time. This way, you can adapt yourself to the new environment sooner and get better grades through it. We're in favor of this suggestion…"


      Seeing the opening and closing of the dean's mouth, Yan Zheke could not digest anything he said at all. There was only one thought running through her mind.


      One year ahead of time, one year ahead of time…




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     428 What If…
      "A year earlier, a year earlier…"


      Instead of feeling happy by the surprise, Yan Zheke was confused and depressed, as if she had been diagnosed with a fatal illness.


      In early May, when Ji Lingxi asked her whether she still wanted to go abroad, she answered with such firmness and certainty. Now at the last minute, she was reluctant to leave Cheng. She had promised Cheng that they would go traveling during the summer break, go and see the Aurora in the north the next January, and spend her 20th and Cheng's 21st birthday together. They also planned to go to Yuanyang Hill and ask for a romance padlock as a token of their affection. And she even began to fancy the sweet simple life after visiting Lou Cheng's parents and wanted to make their affection known to friends and relatives…


      Now she didn't have enough time to realize her dreams and keep her promises...


      "Bring me all the materials mentioned as soon as possible, and the Dean's office will arrange everything for you. If everything goes as planned, you'll set out in August. When you arrive there, you will take a short-term language course. Don't worry, I'm sure that will be easy for you considering your grades… Okay, go back and make the necessary preparations, and if you can't remember all the materials needed, then come and get a list …" The dean touched his remaining hair as if it was his treasure.


      In early August? We are in late June… she'll only have a month to say goodbye to Cheng and they might get only two or three chances to see each other per year… Yan Zheke choked on the sad news and felt her heart tighten. Refraining from all these negative emotions, she took the list and went out of the office with the other students.


      "Yan Zheke?" She heard a sharp voice.


      Yan Zheke looked up and saw Huang Xiwen, who had also joined in the co-cultivation project.


      "What?" she replied in bewilderment.


      "What were you thinking about? Why don't we stay together when we get there? We all know each other. We're all classmates. We can take care of each other." Huang Xiwen grumbled, repeating her question.


      The girl's baby face softened her gorgeous facial features and made her approachable. The two boys besides her were also talking about this.


      Yan Zheke didn't like to express negative emotions with tears. Instead, she was used to keeping them to herself and prevented them from affecting others. When Huang Xiwen stopped speaking, she had already managed to control herself and put on a smile, "All right, I'd love to if my parents don't have other arrangements."



      They left the academic building and decided to keep in touch by cellphone.


      Walking towards the school building under the shade of trees, Yan Zheke felt that the sad news had made her mind gloomy. There was even a moment when she thought of giving up this opportunity.


      She would be abroad for three to six years without Lou Cheng around, and her time there would be longer than the time she spent with Lou Cheng in the past year. Such a long time would undoubtedly be a test on their relationship, and accidents might happen at any time. What if they got suspicious of each other during that period? Was their relationship strong enough?


      On the other hand, she could still get good grades without going abroad and help her mother with her business after graduation. She could even develop her own hobby…


      She would rather stay with Cheng and see him gradually reach the peak of martial arts. Sharing his pain and suffering, feeling his joy, anger, and sadness, watching each other grow old little by little until the end. Wasn't this also not one kind of happiness?


      But she would regret it for the rest of her life if she really gave up. All her years of hard work would all go down the drain. There was a possibility that she would become Cheng's dependency and lose herself without her own career and dreams…


      Ideal or love? Yan Zheke felt she was like a hero facing a difficult choice between a beauty and his ambitions.


      Maybe she should have listened to her parents and devoted herself to her studies instead of dating Lou Cheng at such a young age. Now she had to make a choice…


      Yan Zheke suddenly recalled a melody:


      If I hadn't met you in the past, I wouldn't feel sad now. But I'll still fall in love with you if we meet again!


      Yeah, she still loved her silly Cheng no matter what happened!


      Biting her lips, Yan Zheke finally pulled herself together and decided to grasp this opportunity and go abroad for further education.


      She believed in Cheng and herself, believed that their affection would endure the test of time and distance. She was sure that they would finally come back to each other's side and spend the rest of their lives together!


      Sigh… she wanted to pour out all the sadness in her heart when she heard the special tone of her cell phone ringing.


      Taking out the cellphone from her bag, she checked the message. It was from Lou Cheng,


      "Ke, have you finished? Shall I go to the academic building and pick you up?"


      Yan Zheke was almost moved to tears by the simple words. Turning to look aside, she held back the tears and then replied with a wry smile:


      "I'm done. Stay where you are and wait for me…"


      Her fingers paused and then continued tapping, "I'm coming to pick you up~"


      "Okay, same place!" Lou Cheng responded with a silly smile.


      Suddenly, his phone rang. The call was from his mother.


      "Hello, Cheng. Have you finished your exams? How were they?" Qi Fang, as usual, asked about his studies.


      "They were OK." Lou Cheng didn't really know what to say.


      His grades might've been between 60 and 70, just above the passing mark.


      Considering her son's achievements in the other field, Qi Fang turned to the topic she cared about the most instead of making detailed inquiries about Lou Cheng's studies. "When will you come home? Have you booked the ticket?"


      Her voice was low but filled with excitement. "Cheng, what about bringing the girl home to see us? I mean Yan Zheke, the girl you always mention to us. You were mates in high school, university, and the martial arts club; what a predestined relationship…"


      After defeating Shanbei in the final match of the national competition, Yan Zheke and Lou Cheng could not help hugging each other on the arena and almost shared a passionate kiss, which attracted the envy of all the bachelors and also exposed their relationship to Lou Zhisheng and Qi Fang. Afterwards, Lou Cheng had to spend that night answering his mother's questions and gossip.


      There was a moment Qi Fang felt unhappy since Lou Cheng had finally grown up to be a real man and began transferring his love from his mom to a girlfriend. But she soon calmed down and found that Yan Zheke was a girl from a decent background and that she met her standards perfectly. Besides, they lived in the same town, grew up with the same customs, and knew each other very well, which only added to Qi Fang's satisfaction. So Qi Fang had been urging Lou Cheng to bring the girl home so that the old couple could meet her.


      To be honest, if Lou Cheng hadn't won the national championship and thus hadn't been called the favored fighter of the age, Qi Fang would have been nervous that the girl might have been too good for her son and their relationship would face many challenges. She usually saw the same plot in TV shows…


      "Mom, I mentioned it to Ke. When we come back to Xiushan, I'll bring her home as soon as it's convenient." Lou Cheng didn't release the specific date, for he wanted to go traveling with Ke before going back home.


      "Okay, okay. Tell me in advance and I'll go and buy some food and make preparations. Of course, I have a gift for her…" With all the endless chatter, Qi Fang suddenly recalled something and asked, "She was here, she was here. Last summer break, Han's second wife said that she saw a pretty girl in our neighborhood and was wondering whose girlfriend she was… Cheng, tell me the truth, was that girl Yan Zheke? Was she coming to look for you?"


      "Yes." Lou Cheng wiped the nonexistent sweat on his forehead, admiring his mom for her good memory on gossip.


      Of course, he also remembered that time as it was deeply engraved in his memory, because that was his first time seeing and feeling his beloved girl's soft body.


      "You were already dating at that time?" Qi Fang's tone suddenly rose. "You brat, you're really out of control! How long did you hide it from us? Nearly one year!"


      "Sorry, Mom, it's my fault. I intended to tell you about it after we went steady." Lou Cheng had already perfected the art of apologizing to his mom with beautiful words.


      Qi Fang was not really annoyed. Thinking about it, she said, "No wonder you have been dressing decently the whole year!"


      Luckily, it was only after Lou Cheng entered university that he dared to bring a girlfriend home secretly. Qi Fang knew that there were many senior or even junior high students who were caught fooling around at home!


      Chatting for a while, Lou Cheng hung up the phone and saw Ke walking quickly towards him. The girl was wearing a T-shirt, denim shorts, and white sport shoes today, which only made her look more youthful and gave energy to her movements.


      "What were you doing in the Dean's office?" Lou Cheng asked with concern.


      Yan Zheke bit her lip and slightly frowned, but soon she put on a smile. "Something about that co-cultivation project. There are some changes and I'll tell you later. Who were you speaking with just now?"


      "My mom. She urged me to bring you home to visit them." Lou Cheng raised his eyebrows, talking in a deliberately low voice. But he was actually murmuring to himself, "Some changes? What changes?"


      He always took Coach Yan's affairs seriously.


      Yan Zheke, who had intended to act in a pettishly charming manner, only gave Lou Cheng a smile and said two words,


      "All right."


      "Aren't you nervous?" Lou Cheng asked in surprise.


      Yan Zheke was amused and rolled her eyes at Lou Cheng. "Why should I feel nervous? You've been telling me that both your parents are kind and that they like me."


      "Sounds reasonable. It's good that you're relaxed." Lou Cheng asked with great expectations, "When shall we go home? How about you and me go traveling before that?"


      Yan Zheke looked up and suggested,


      "Well, what about spending a few more days in Songcheng?"


      They had too many memories here.


      "All right. I'll make a plan and list all the delicious food and famous tourist spots." Actually, Lou Cheng actually didn't care what they were going to do. It was with whom he did all these things with that mattered.


      Yan Zheke tilted her head, showed two dimples, and waved her hand excitedly.


      "Let's go to the ocean aquarium this afternoon. We have been planning to go there but always missed the chance."


      She paused and smiled. "How much of marine biology do you still remember?"


      "Nearly forgot all of it..." Lou Cheng sighed while covering his face with his hands.


      Yan Zheke laughed. "Thank goodness, or else I'd look so stupid! I'll go back, change my clothes and put on some makeup. It's a date with Cheng; therefore, it's very important."


      Being cheered up by the girl's abnormal excitement and joy, Lou Cheng rushed to the dorm, packed all his belongings, and waved Zhao Qiang and Cai Zongming goodbye.


      It was a cool day, perfect for their travel plans. After a while, Lou Cheng saw Yan Zheke coming out of the building with her suitcase. She had on a white cotton one-piece dress, a pink jacket, and a pair of cute canvas shoes with skin-colored silk stockings. The light make-up made her pretty face more attractive.


      She had once dressed the same way when she invited Lou Cheng to the ocean aquarium in March, and Lou Cheng was stunned by her beauty at the time, which left him with a deep impression. Taking the girl's suitcase, Lou Cheng smiled awkwardly. "Ke, are you going down memory lane?"


      "You still remember?" Yan Zheke was surprised and pleased at the same time.


      "Of course, you were drop-dead gorgeous! How can I forget?" Lou Cheng said softly.


      Yan Zheke smiled proudly and then waved her palm,


      "We're going to make up for our aborted date last year, so everything should remain unchanged!"


      "I'm looking forward to it!" Lou Cheng replied with a big smile. Coughing to hide the expectation in his tone, he added, "I've already booked a single room in a hotel…


      "Considering our relationship, there was no need to book two rooms, right?


      "Okay." Yan Zheke nodded slightly while looking forward.




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     429 Bookmark the Sweet Memories
      Getting his girlfriend's approval and regarding it as a breakthrough in their relationship, Lou Cheng couldn't help walking at a brisk pace with great joy. So as not to annoy the shy girl, he stopped talking about the accommodations and raised another question instead.


      "A date that makes up for last year's regret? To make up for everything? But I forgot what I was wearing last time…..."


      Yan Zheke thought for a while and then burst out laughing.


      "I also don't remember!"


      What she could remember was Cheng's tired look and wrinkled brows, which evoked in her a desire to kiss him.


      Recalling the old memories, she smiled silently and looked down at her toes, putting her arms around Cheng's elbow to get closer to him.


      "It's alright. We boors pay no attention to how we dress, and we can even wear the same kind of suit every day," Lou Cheng said with a self-deprecating humor, using his nickname given by the girl.


      Chatting and laughing, they arrived at the downtown area and got off the school bus, finding the five-star hotel where Lou Cheng had booked a room for them.


      On their way to the reception desk, Yan Zheke came to an abrupt stop and then turned her gaze aside. Taking her ID card out of her purse as if all was normal, she told Lou Cheng, "Go and check us in, I'll wait for you here…"


      Her cheeks began to flush.


      Lou Cheng could barely hide the smile on his face since he could easily read the girl's mind.


      After taking Ke's ID card, he calmly said,


      "Okay."


      Every time they spent a night out together, they always booked two rooms. When they became close enough to share one room, he began checking in alone since it was impossible for the shy girl to check in together with him.


      Well, she'll eventually get used to it. For now she'll just leave it to her cheeky Cheng!


      After unloading their luggage, Lou Cheng went to the reception desk with their ID cards. "We have an online reservation."


      The reception girl glanced at him and was stunned. "Lou Cheng?" she blurted out.



      "You know me?" Lou Cheng smiled.


      "Of course!" The girl nodded vigorously. "I watched you in the national competition! I liked your performance very much. So cool, so amazing!"


      She was too excited to form words.


      Well, I'm a celebrity now. Should I cover my face and wear sunglasses next time... Lou Cheng was dumbfounded.


      "Thank you, thank you."


      "Could you please sign an autograph for me!?" The girl began checking him in, but was immediately taken back by the ID cards. "Two people?"


      Darn it, so embarrassing… Lou Cheng replied calmly, "Yeah, me and my girlfriend."


      "Okay…" The girl got a copy of the ID cards and checked them in without saying anything. Finally, she gave Lou Cheng a receipt. "Sign your name here, and also on that blank paper, please, 'to Yue Xiaohui'!"


      Returning to Yan Zheke's side with the room card, Lou Cheng said,


      "1506."


      Yan Zheke glanced at the reception desk with curiosity. "What were you talking about?"


      "That girl at the reception desk recognized me from the national competition and asked me for an autograph," Lou Cheng replied honestly.


      "…" Yan Zheke was stunned, and her cheeks flushed again. Turning backward, she whispered with shyness, "Let me go!"


      She never expected that they would run into one of Lou Cheng's fans the first time she decided to share a room with him. Now she was too ashamed to face anyone!


      If only I had known earlier, I would have checked in by myself and let Cheng sneak into the room!


      "What are you worrying about? We are perfectly justifiable!" Lou Cheng comforted her with a smile.


      Now that we have the room card, those who like gossiping have already begun making up stories about us… Just let them go!


      After thinking about it, Yan Zheke curbed her mood swings and went to the fifth floor with Lou Cheng, putting their luggage in the room.


      "What shall we eat for lunch?" Lou Cheng looked at the overcast sky outside the window.


      They finished the exam at 10 AM, and it wasn't even twelve yet.


      Yan Zheke replied without thinking as if she had already made preparations, "Dingshang sautéed crab in hot and spicy sauce!"


      "Where we went for our first date?" Of course, Lou Cheng couldn't forget it.


      "Yes! Let's reminisce the old days!" Yan Zheke nodded with a cute expression.


      After arranging their belongings, the two of them went out hand in hand, arriving at their first rendezvous by taxi.


      Luckily, it was still in business… Lou Cheng felt so happy when he saw the restaurant's sign.


      He hoped that all the sites that bore his sweet memories would remain unchanged forever.


      So did Yan Zheke, who wore a sweet smile, showing her dimples.


      As they entered the restaurant, before the waiter could say anything, Lou Cheng glanced at the menu and then ordered, "Two people, a 199-yuan set, 12 crabs, handmade noodles, steamed shrimp dumpling, beef…"


      The waiter was stunned. "Please, please slow down a bit so that I can take notes."


      Don't all the customers order their crabs first and then the other dishes after they sit down?


      Yan Zheke couldn't help smiling. Lou Cheng was just repeating the name of the dishes that they had ordered during their first date, but this time he doubled the amount.


      How could Cheng still remember them… She was greatly moved and said jokingly, "Well, you are good at answering questions in advance!"


      "We ordered them the first time we came here, right?" Lou Cheng held Ke's hand in his and they found themselves two seats.


      "You still remember that?" Yan Zheke rested her head on one hand while watching Lou Cheng with her glittering eyes.


      Lou Cheng smiled. "I watched you carefully to see what you liked or disliked, so the dishes we ordered left a deep impression on me. But it was not until we came here that I recalled them…"


      Yan Zheke was moved almost to tears upon hearing Lou Cheng's explanation. Turning her gaze aside to hide her expression, she calmed herself down and then changed the topic.


      "I also paid attention to the dishes you liked or disliked. But, but you seemed to like everything!"


      "So I am easy to feed, right? I can eat anything you give me," Lou Cheng said proudly.


      Well, if Little Ming were here, he would have answered, "Will you eat sh*t if I feed it to you?" Of course, Ke wouldn't have said that.


      "I will give you all my leftovers from now on," Yan Zheke said with a light tone.


      The dingshang sautéed crab in hot and spicy sauce was delicious as usual. The two of them were so satisfied with the meal that they even ordered extra dishes twice. This stunned the server, and the manager insisted on giving them a restaurant VIP card.


      It was a moderately priced restaurant without any luxurious dishes, but their meal cost around 3,000 yuan, which surprised the manager, who insisted on treating them as VIP customers.


      After lunch, they began walking along the route of their first date.


      "Cheng, do you still remember where you began holding my hand?" The girl asked with enthusiasm.


      Lou Cheng thought for a while and then, laughing at himself, he replied, "I paid no attention to where we were, for my mind was filled with a series of thoughts such as: could I hold your hand? How could I do it without annoying you? Will you shake me off? Once I managed to, I was so excited that I even lost my sense of direction. All I could see were you and your hand, which gave me a magical feeling, as if I was walking on the clouds…"


      Biting her lower lip, Yan Zheke gazed at the young man with her watery eyes. Lou Cheng's words showed her how much he cherished their relationship and her, and this suddenly brought her so much joy.


      She turned aside to look at something on the street, finding herself unsure on whether the decision she had made this morning was the wise one.


      "What about you? Do you remember where we held hands?" asked Lou Cheng.


      Yan Zheke rolled her eyes. "I can't remember it either. I was particularly nervous then, and all my focus was on your hand, which kept approaching mine. I was wondering whether you wanted to hold my hand or not. I actually didn't know how to react if you really did that. If I refused, you might have been disappointed. But I didn't want to accept you in a hurry lest I be regarded as ungraceful… All in all, I was in wild flights of fancy, and I felt lucky that I didn't bump into other pedestrians. However, I finally found you a dull boy who dared not to touch my hand, so I took the initiative to hold yours!"


      Recalling all of their feelings and thoughts in the old days, they smiled at each other and raised their clasped hands at the same time.


      Though they were no longer so excited as to lose their sense of direction, they held each other's hand firmly, believing they would never be separated.


      Walking along the street shoulder to shoulder, they both got lost in the sweet memories.


      "Remember that we bought a fresh cream cake here?" Lou Cheng pointed at Meimei Bread's sign, smiling.


      Yan Zheke bit her lip and laughed slightly. "I also remember how you tricked me!"


      "Huh?" Lou Cheng was lost.


      "You told me that the fresh cream cake here wasn't too sweet and I would like it. You said you found the store online," Yan Zheke complained, "Sure enough, it tasted good, but I couldn't find the store online!"


      Lou Cheng suddenly realized what she was talking about, and he chuckled.


      "I had come here earlier to taste the cake. At the time, you had just told me that you were still making preparations and adjusting yourself, so I was afraid that if I told you the truth, it might dull your senses and add to the pressure. That was why I didn't show you all the effort I had put in…"


      Yan Zheke was almost moved to tears before Lou Cheng could finish his words. Suddenly, the girl took a step forward and threw herself into Cheng's arms, giving him a big hug while burying her face in his shoulder.


      "What's wrong with you?" Lou Cheng was shocked.


      Yan Zheke wanted to laugh and weep all at once. "Can't I be moved?"


      "Okay, okay." Lou Cheng was overjoyed to see that his effort had paid off. Stroking the girl's long hair with his fingers, he smiled with great satisfaction.


      "Buy a piece of fresh cream cake again and let's share it at night~" After a while, Yan Zheke let go of Lou Cheng's arms, calming herself down.


      "Sure!" Lou Cheng entered the bakery with her.


      Their next destination was the Ocean Aquarium, and this time no one disturbed them.


      "Look, a starfish. If you tear it up, each part of its body will grow into a new starfish." Lou Cheng pointed at a figure in the aquarium.


      Yan Zheke was surprised. "You said that you had already forgotten marine biology."


      "I've been cramming for this moment," Lou Cheng replied proudly, and then pointed at another creature. "It is, it is…"


      Damn it, I forgot its name!


      I want to show off, I am making a fool of myself instead!


      "Haha." Yan Zheke burst out laughing to tears. "There should be an information sign nearby, or you can check it online, commentator Lou~"


      They walked and laughed in the aquarium until it closed. Afterwards, they went to the restaurant where they had had their second date to have dinner. While waiting for their dishes, Lou Cheng went downstairs, pretending to go to the toilet, but he actually went to buy a bunch of flowers.


      "Belle, you've dropped something." He smiled at Yan Zheke with one hand behind his back.


      The familiar lines and scene greatly moved Yan Zheke, who slowly opened her mouth, and tears filled her eyes. "Flowers?" she asked with a forced smile.


      "Yeah, sure enough you dropped something!" Lou Cheng bowed slightly like a gentleman and gave the girl her flowers.


      Holding the flowers with both hands, Yan Zheke pretended to enjoy their fragrance with closed eyes. After a while, she looked up at Lou Cheng. "But I still have something missing."


      "What's that?" Lou Cheng asked, smiling.


      Yan Zheke's watery eyes were glittering as she turned aside to hide her expression.


      "My boyfriend~"


      Lou Cheng was so happy that he moved toward the girl to clasp her hand. Ke was acting a bit abnormal today. He thought, " I have never seen her so clingy."


      After dinner, they took a walk and went back to the hotel with their cake. The room was dimly lit, the stars and rivers were outside the window, and the quietness and privacy around them made everything look like a dream. Though it was not the first time for him, Lou Cheng still felt his heart racing uncontrollably in the silence.


      Just then, Yan Zheke put the bouquet on the table, sat on the edge of the bed, touched his calf, and said softly,


      "I'm so sore. Cheng, come and massage my legs and feet~"


      They were comfortable around each other, but Ke's face suddenly flushed as she said those words. Looking down at her right hand supporting her body like a budding flower, the girl smiled shyly.


      Lou Cheng was immediately stimulated by the scene and the girl's words.




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      ebook which is a free download at
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     430 All Night the Fish and the Dragon Danced
      Is Ke dropping a hint here?


      Obsessed by this thrilling thought, Lou Cheng threw the fresh cream cake aside and stepped to the bedside. He crouched down and grabbed Yan Zheke's left ankle.


      As soon as his hand reached her smooth skin, he felt the shaking of her skin and muscles, her heart beating increasingly fast, and her body temperature rising. It was completely different from her previous reaction prior to the massage.


      Dup! Dup! Dup...


      Lou Cheng's heart experienced a physical resonance to Yan Zheke's every heartbeat, his mouth dry and body hot. Unconsciously, some expectations began to brew.


      Without further contact or any flirtation, he felt his blood flooding down. His hands, however stable they were in battle, were shivering involuntarily as he pulled up her left foot. He took a deep breath and slowly loosened her shoelace and took off her shoe.


      Yan Zheke's heart beat even faster and Lou Cheng held his breath as if he was going to turn into a werewolf.


      Dup! Dup! Dup...


      Her beautiful foot was revealed in a see-through sock and Lou Cheng placed it against his knee. His hands began to massage, but soon the pinching motion changed to gentle strokes which became more and more intense.


      "Hmm..." Finally, a long-suppressed sound slipped out of her throat, her lips pursed tightly.


      It was the straw that broke the camel's back, a call from his little fairy, and the firing of the starting gun. Lou Cheng suddenly lost control and lowered his head, moving up slowly and leaving a hot, exciting line on her body.


      When he finally straightened his body and pinned the girl down on the bed, Yan Zheke had begun to respond, shy but just as intense.


      "Pervert... Quit kissing me..." she complained in a very gentle tone while pushing her lips forward and sticking her tongue out to engage in Lou Cheng's hungry kiss, feeling her cotton dress close to being torn apart under his rough movements.


      Her pink jacket fell on the floor, followed by her white dress that was light like a cloud and Lou Cheng's clothing.


      "Turn off the light..." Yan Zheke shouted subconsciously between her heavy breaths.



      However, this time, Lou Cheng didn't listen to her. In the warm light, Lou Cheng kept the incredible beauty in his head in the manner of making a pilgrimage or a blasphemy.


      He once again lowered his body and began to kiss her from her forehead, her palpitating eyelids, her long, thick, and gently trembling eyelashes, her ruby red ears, to her lovely nose tip...


      In the opposite direction from earlier, Lou Cheng moved all the way down and Yan Zheke grabbed the sheet with both hands, tight or loose, her lips pursed closely, and once in a good a while an inviting sound slipping away.


      Her brows suddenly knitted, face red and hot, and gritted teeth opened, letting out a long, soft whine from her throat.


      Lou Cheng's blood was boiling. He quickly removed their one last piece of clothing, her underwear hanging by her stockings at her ankle. They were finally completely naked in front of each other.


      He pressed his body down, supporting his weight with both hands so Yan Zheke didn't have to bear the entire heaviness.


      He had been longing for this final physical and spiritual connection with Ke. Every time, he would advance aggressively and then quit with respect when she firmly demanded him to stop. At this very moment, he was passionately kissing, touching, and moving his hips, pretending this was all he planned to do.


      All of a sudden, he felt surrounded by wetness and a slippery smoothness. His surging joy was soon replaced by an abrupt terror. He looked up at the girl, seeing the flush of her face, around her collarbones and further down, and tears in her sparkling eyes like stars.


      She turned her head away and bit her lower lip hard, without knowing Lou Cheng's further advance.


      "Ke..." Lou Cheng called.


      Upon hearing her boyfriend's scorched, desirous voice, Yan Zheke's eyelashes flapped quickly. She slowly closed her eyes and squeezed out a very quiet answer,


      "Hmm..."


      The heavenly hum made Lou Cheng more excited.


      "I'll... I'll find us a condom..."


      "Why didn't I listen to Talker's advice and keep one condom on me? There has to be one in a five-star hotel room. Well, I'll receive some odd eyes during checkout, but nothing is more important than this now."


      Before Lou Cheng could get off the bed, Yan Zheke grabbed his wrist. Afraid of looking at his eyes, she tilted her head and said,


      "No need..."


      "Ahh?" Lou Cheng was stupefied.


      "Grandpa... Grandpa said... Before you reach the Inhuman stage... It's hard... Very hard for me to..." Yan Zheke was too shy to finish her sentence.


      On her mind was a crazy idea. "Grandpa said it would be hard for me to have children. I can't get pregnant easily before Cheng reaches the Inhuman stage. Let's give it a try. If it happens at such a low chance, it must be fate and I'll stay.


      "I want to be irrational once for Cheng..."


      "That's right." Lou Cheng was not willing to part with this soft, warm body at all. He got back to the position and resumed his kisses and strokes, adjusting his movements while gazing at her tightening frown and increasingly red face. He advanced carefully and gently.


      Inch by inch, he finally reached the end and felt their bodies become one. Yan Zheke suddenly straightened her waist and wrapped her arms around his neck, her lips close to his ear, her breaths fragrant and hot, and her cries bearing pain and affection.


      "Cheng... Cheng... Cheng..."


      There seemed no end in her voice, and Lou Cheng's heart became friable. He felt the girl little by little melt into his marrow.


      "Ke..." he responded in a very low voice, and completely lost control of himself.


      Squeak... The very stable hotel bed started to make noises. A while later, a suppressed moan burst out like a heavenly note, followed closely by stronger squeaky noises and a satisfied male sigh.


      They spoke out their love to comfort each other's body and soul, and their whispering went on and on.


      "You didn't take a shower! Gross!" Abruptly, Yan Zheke let out a low scream and tapped Lou Cheng's chest.


      Lou Cheng returned a low chuckle, his heart extremely pleased and his body still burning.


      "How could you!?" As Yan Zheke struggled to cross over him to get off the bed, she accidentally touched Lou Cheng's weapon, up and ready.


      "Cough... Considering my recovery ability and vigorous blood and qi, this is very normal..." Lou Cheng sounded rather proud of himself.


      "Hmm..." Yan Zheke abandoned her plan to go to the bathroom and started to touch about aimlessly.


      "Hey, stop! I can't resist much longer!" Lou Cheng wanted to call it a night thinking about the pain his little fairy had just gone through, but the girl took the initiative to provoke.


      Yan Zheke's eyes were shining with a tempting glow, more inviting than before. She scolded in a very soft tone, "You are allowed to take advantage of me. Why can't I take advantage of you? Stay still!"


      Lou Cheng couldn't bear her tease and turned around to pin her under his body.


      The night was short and their love was intense. When Lou Cheng woke up at his usual hour, a faint fragrance flew under his nose and a tender body lied next to his. Everything was perfect like a dream.


      Recalling their last night, a silly grin climbed on his face. His body and heart both felt content, his spirit complete and everything in this world beautiful.


      He raised his head a little to look at Yan Zheke curled up like a baby in his arms, her innocent face with a faint pained expression, her dark hair, fine face, and her delicate, unforgettable skin. Feeling her tight hug and dependence, Lou Cheng knew his heart was melting in her fascinating cries of his name.


      This is the connection of flesh and spirit...


      This is the person I'm closest to...


      This is the girl I will spend my entire life to protect...


      He lowered his head to kiss her long eyelashes and rosy lips. His hands automatically began to move around and his morning passion turned fiercer.


      "Hmm... No more..." Yan Zheke threw a punch at him in her sleep, turned around, and fell back asleep.


      Lou Cheng struggled hard to get up, concerned about how upset and uneasy Ke would be if she woke up alone without him. He almost gave up on his morning exercises.


      "Is this what Ke meant by 'a good man caught in the long-lasting affection?" He poked fun at himself before getting changed for his training. His body and mind were both very excited. He slept merely two hours last night, but he didn't feel tired at all.


      "People are in high spirits when involved in happy events."


      When Lou Cheng started to feel the Force Concentration after his basic training, he could tell his determination was firmer and no one and nothing could defeat him.


      This is the life I'm going to defend!


      The ice and fire twisted and embraced, pulling the most subtle responses from his body. The ghostly chill was flicking and the dark flame dancing. Lou Cheng's heart finally caught the sign in the perfect satisfaction and grabbed the tip of every cell and every drop of his body that made up his body.


      "This is the root pulp!"


      He opened his eyes, very pleased. The grasp of the root pulp indicated his path to the Inhuman stage.


      "This is not sufficient, but a necessary condition."


      Since the beginning of May, Lou Cheng's physical quality had reached the top Professional Sixth Pin level after two months of training. He expected a long wait until the next big progress, but a night in bed with her had hardened his mind, polished his temper, boosted his spirit, and brought his will back. His performance had smoothly improved.


      "Six more months till the new year. I have a good chance of opening that gate..."  thought Lou Cheng happily. He got out of the stance and returned without delay. Every second seemed too precious to waste.


      The curtains were tightly shut and the room was dark and filled with a strange but arousing scent. Yan Zheke was deeply asleep, sucking on her finger with a bright smile on her face. Feeling peaceful and joyful, Lou Cheng quickly undressed and took a shower before diving into the bed and hugging his soft, fragrant little fairy for some more sleep.


      When he woke up, Yan Zheke's eyelashes flipped. She slowly opened her eyes and sank in his passionate kisses.


      "Morning... No, good afternoon!" Lou Cheng chuckled, his elbow supporting his head.


      Yan Zheke curved her eyes and brows and circled her arms around his neck with a sweet smile.


      "Good afternoon, darling."


      She didn't feel shy at all about this appellation.


      As Lou Cheng was debating whether they should eat first or do something else, Yan Zheke pursed her lips, her eyes shining. She plucked up her courage and opened her mouth.


      "Cheng, I have something to tell you... I... The training program of my department has shifted one year earlier..."


      Her voice was not firm at all, full of hesitation and confusion, as if looking for an answer.




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     431 The Daughter of the Empress Dowager
      Ahh... Lou Cheng, filled with sweetness and happiness, couldn't process what Yan Zheke had just said. A moment of confusion was followed by a sudden realization. He instantly felt lost and beaten, as if his heart was grabbed by an invisible hand, empty and short of breath.


      A year earlier? So two more months... Or maybe only one month... Ke is going abroad!


      Just after their first night together, Lou Cheng just wanted to spend every single second with his little fairy right now. Thinking about her spending days with her grandparents and parting with him, he already felt lost and distracted. He couldn't bear the thought of her being away on the other side of the ocean.


      At that moment, tons of emotions flooded in Lou Cheng's heart, intense and violent. He was so close to bursting out, "Give it up. Stay so there's no tragic parting."


      Gazing at her confusion and hesitation and her pitiful, struggling eyes, he restrained himself and thought more about it.


      He wasn't taken by surprise. Actually, he was prepared for this, though it had come one year earlier all of a sudden...


      Ke didn't come up with this after their relationship started. She was determined about her dream and had made her plans before they even met.


      She had talked about it with him the last March and earned his consent...


      Since she was born with a deficiency, however hard she tried, she could never reach the Dan stage. Her dream had shifted to this during the past five or six years.


      She had been brought up in the thick of things. She wouldn't need to worry about her life quality even if she didn't work. She wanted to study abroad because it was a rare opportunity to learn from top scholars of the field from the entire world and wander in her favorite things besides a degree.


      The Ji family was very influential in the country. However, it might not work that well in another place. Once she missed this opportunity, there might never be another one...


      When they first began to go out, Empress Dowager also demanded this. Two people together must make some sacrifices for each other to bond, but she didn't want to see Ke give up her dream for him...


      Yan Zheke gazed at Lou Cheng with her clear eyes in a very nervous manner. She felt more hesitant, painful, and conflicted because of his silence.



      "If Cheng wants me to stay, what should I say? I... I will..." After the mad idea last night to take the very small chance and leave everything for God to decide, she felt she once again lowered her baseline. In her heart was a mixed feeling of sweetness and bitterness.


      "Love has always been the toughest thing since forever."


      Lou Cheng forced a smile on his face and put on a very gentle, casual tone.


      "One year earlier... That's good. So you can come back one year earlier. I was worried because I will have to attend professional tournaments in the final year. This would mean I could only fly over to spend a few days with you every two or even three months. Now it's perfect. All I need to do in my third year is lead them and temper myself without fighting in many competitions. In terms of studies, the Dean has promised me he will do his best to secure my degree and make me a signboard for the school. I can skip as many classes and exams as I want...


      "All it takes is a visa, a ten-hour flight, and some travel. Isn't it easy? Hmm... I guess Empress Dowager will stay with you for some time at the beginning, and then it will be my turn. I'll fly over every month and stay for one to two weeks. When you are off, we can go watch the northern lights. It is actually more convenient from there. And we can visit all those unique places together..."


      Yan Zheke was stunned by his long speech. She had tears in her beautiful eyes veiled by a faint layer of fog.


      "And my master told me more experiences before the physical invulnerability stage will be a big help for my future progress. During my time with you in the States, I can experience the American fighting styles. They are the heart of the western world with very different martial arts characteristics and advantages..." Before Lou Cheng could finish, Yan Zheke suddenly sat up and hugged him tightly, burying her face in his muscular chest. She sobbed.


      "Cheng, I don't want to go. I... I don't want to part with you... Cheng... Cheng..."


      Her cries reminded Lou Cheng of their first time having sex, melting his heart thoroughly. He laid down on his back with the girl resting on his chest and stroked her slightly messy, sweaty hair. He put on a gentle smile.


      "Silly. Are you sure you don't want to go?"


      The sadder, the stronger. Yan Zhek raised her head and ceased her tears, her rosy lips moving but no words coming out.


      That master was really old, and his health was declining. After this opportunity, there possibly wouldn't be another one, not to mention it was unknown if he would live much longer. After his passing, his outstanding disciples would begin to establish their own kingdoms due to their differences in their scholarship. A sacred place with this many top scholars gathering together just wouldn't exist anymore...


      "You should go. I want you to become better with me together not sacrifice yourself. In return, I'll do my best to become a better me so you can't throw me off," said Lou Cheng with a soft smile while gently caressing her.


      "But... But... You'll have to give up so much this way!" Yan Zheke bit her lower lip with her white, tidy teeth, and the hesitation in her voice remained.


      "How did the roles change? How come I am here convincing Ke to go abroad?" Lou Cheng let out a bitter laugh before answering seriously, "We are going to spend our entire lives together. How can we count who is giving more? Besides, you must give as well. Every time you have a holiday, you must come back to spend time with me. Every day you must say a few sweet words to me. When you feel fragile in front of difficulties, you must be honest with me and I'll fly over immediately."


      After learning Yan Zheke was planning to study abroad, he had been reading similar posts, learning from others' losses and gains, which was why he said those words.


      "Yes! I promise! I swear!" Yan Zheke heaved a sigh, relieved from her burden with the answer. She pursed her lips, nodded, and gave out three fingers, looking extremely adorable.


      Lou Cheng stroked her lovely nose and smiled.


      "Look. I'm capable and available to fly over and stay with you for a dozen days every month. He-heh... A small parting will bring us even closer. If it's not very safe over there, I'll pay to hire a female Dan stage master from the Shushan Study or the Ice God Sect to protect and accompany you. Every year you can come back at least twice. This way, the challenges of time and distance will be lowered to the minimum...


      "I read a book before, and one line from it has stayed with me. All fears of long-distance relationships come from our hatred towards our own incapabilities."


      He smiled and his eyes became firm.


      "This might sound arrogant. I'm training my ass off to advance and make progress because of my personal interest, my desire to challenge my idol, and my determination to make the difficulties between us no longer hard and reduce the impact left on us by all those challenges.


      "This is the true meaning of guarding.


      "If one's girlfriend is abroad and the boy has money and time but is unwilling to put in some effort to make their relationship work, he is all talk, not to mention selfish."


      As soon as Lou Cheng finished, Yan Zheke, appearing drunk in his words, climbed up, lowered her head, and placed her lips on Lou Cheng's mouth for an intense french kiss.


      During the kiss, her beautiful body without underwear was revealed in front of Lou Cheng's eyes, igniting his passion and boiling his blood.


      Yan Zheke suddenly stopped and punched Lou Cheng, blushing.


      "You pervert! I was so touched... How could you... How could you..."


      She was too embarrassed to finish. Lou Cheng responded with a dry chuckle.


      "Can't help it..."


      Phew! Yan Zheke burst into a laugh and the gloominess completely vanished. She pushed her body up and locked her tempting eyes on Lou Cheng, suggesting in a quiet but determined tone,


      "Cheng, let's get married..."


      "Ahh..." Lou Cheng was startled and asked confusedly, "Are you asking me to marry you?"


      "Yes!" Yan Zheke nodded like a chick picking grains.


      Lou Cheng suddenly got a hold of himself and looked at Yan Zheke earnestly.


      "For real?


      "This is not a joke? Not a maneuver?"


      "Yes!" said Yan Zheke while counting her fingers. Her eyes were filled with tenderness, and her smile bore a mixed tinge of resolution and impulse. "First, we are both 18, adults, ready for a legal marriage."


      The country didn't have the idea of late marriage and late childbirth.


      "Second, our household registries are both in school. We can totally take them out before the holiday begins," continued Yan Zheke with a pair of deep dimples in her cheeks. Lou Cheng was feeling drunk in her words.


      She took a deep breath silently and looked at Lou Cheng, blushful but firm.


      "Third, I'm not forcing you to wait. I'm making a promise. I can keep myself until the end. I want you to know I want you. I do...


      "My future half is you and only you. I want to marry you. I want to be your wife!"


      "I do too!" Before Yan Zheke even asked, Lou Cheng's answer jumped out already with a tinge of emotion. "Let's go back to school now and make up an excuse to borrow the household registry. Then we go buy a ring. How can we get married without a ring?"


      "Yes!" Yan Zheke's vision was foggy again as she nodded gently.


      "This is the wedding of Cheng and Ke with no guests!


      "Every youth is accompanied by impulse and insanity!"




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     432 June 26
      As they reached the decision, Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke's hearts were filled with joy for their reciprocal love and excitement for their coming marriage life. She attempted to throw back the covers and get out of bed but immediately covered her body once she saw the marks and stains on her fair skin from last night's passionate actions. Blushful, she gave Lou Cheng a gentle kick with her left foot.


      "Bring my nightie over!"


      Completely taken over by her great sexual desire, she didn't have time to change last night at all!


      Lou Cheng chuckled as he affectionately squeezed her foot and got up, stepping to her suitcase completely naked with beautiful muscles and lines. He found a slash neck nightdress under her secret glances. In the meantime, she quickly put on her underwear under the quilt, recalling their first night together.


      With two feet on the carpet, she suddenly frowned with a pained look before she could stand up.


      "Are you OK?" Lou Cheng approached at once and held her, very concerned.


      "It's your fault!" Yan Zheke lifted her right foot and stamped him with little force before continuing, "Again and again..."


      Her voice lowered and the redness quickly spread from her face to her neck.


      "But you started the second round..." Lou Cheng defended his innocence.


      "My fault then?" Yan Zheke threw him a glare and the pure yet tempting expression in her eyes turned Lou Cheng on. He wanted to stay in the room with her forever.


      Lou Cheng put on his mature voice and a loving smile.


      "It's all my fault! 100%!"


      He happily took the blame.


      Except for the second time, he did take the initiative in every round, longing for more and more after the first taste of it. At times he did act very rough, forgetting how delicate Ke was until she called for a truce. Then they hugged and talked deeply, their bodies and souls both connected.


      Yan Zheke stared at him as she made her way to the bathroom.


      Listening to the sound of her shower, Lou Cheng was aroused and very tempted to jump in to join her.


      He didn't think he could resist the desire in the shower, and in that case, Ke probably wouldn't be able to leave the room today. He cooled himself down with a bottle of water and got dressed to search for required documents and general procedure for getting married.



      When he figured out everything, Yan Zheke came out, her face very red either from the hot water or the reflection of all the marks and stains on her body.


      Under a white towel were her wet hair, side fringe, and pure, glittering eyes.


      Lou Cheng just couldn't have enough of her beauty. He stared so much that Yan Zheke had to turn her head away, her mouth pouting and eyelashes flapping.


      "Quit gazing me like an idiot! Come and help me dry my hair!"


      "Sure!" Lou Cheng used two towels to absorb most of the water and then began to blowdry her hair carefully with a hotel hair dryer, his eyes tender and hands gentle as if caressing a precious treasure.


      During the blowdry, Lou Cheng once again felt how hard it must be for a long-haired girl.


      "We must cherish these long-haired girls who wash thier hair for you..."


      Yan Zheke sat still on the bed, enjoying the warm wind and her boyfriend's delicate moves, her eyes lowered and mouth curved upward.


      "This is the pleasure of married life."


      "Done. Your turn to shower." Yan Zheke felt her hair with her hand and urged Lou Cheng to go to the bathroom. Then she went through her suitcase, looking for suitable clothes for the weather.


      The curtain was open and the sunshine came in, giving the room a golden shine. His little fairy in a light color chiffon top, a pair of jean shorts, and the same pair of skating shoes from yesterday. Her bare, tender legs against the window were almost too beautiful to be real.


      He stood there, watching Yan Zheke pile up the stained sheets and covers beside the bed. She turned to Lou Cheng, gentling biting her bottom lip, blushful.


      "What shall we do when the cleaner sees this later? Should we just burn it?"


      "It will be more than the cleaner if we burn it..." Lou Cheng chuckled at Ke's innocence and poked fun at her. "What about we sneak it home as a souvenir?"


      "Sick!" Yan Zheke groaned before leaving this matter behind. She bent down to make the bed and discovered her skin-toned stockings under the cover with stains from last night.


      Her face flushed, thinking about how everything had started, and threw the stocking at Lou Cheng.


      "Pervert!"


      Lou Cheng responded with a silly grin.


      …


      After taking a slice of the fresh cream cake, Lou Cheng booked a car to pick them up from the hotel to save Yan Zheke some walking.


      The ride was surprisingly smooth, and they made it to the university cafeteria for lunch before visiting the Household Registration Department under the Students' Affairs Department at 2 PM.


      "Teacher, good afternoon. We'd love to borrow our household registration pages. How can we apply?" Lou Cheng stepped in first and spoke to a middle-aged woman politely.


      The teacher at the Household Registration Department looked up at them and blurted out,


      "Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke!"


      No one in Songcheng University didn't know them!


      A bright smile climbed on her face upon seeing these two celebrities of the school. "Why do you need the household pages?"


      "Teacher, you know we are dating, right?" answered Lou Cheng self-confidently. Yan Zheke subconsciously lowered her head and pinched him in his waist.


      Lou Cheng smiled at the sweet pinch and continued, "We want to make a trip abroad this summer before going back home. We need it for visas."


      They had come up with this excuse together earlier. Telling the teacher they were getting married would be courting trouble, since a terrified teacher would lead to the dean, the president, and the parents.


      "You young people know how to enjoy life." If it was another student couple, the teacher would say "no" right in their faces. But these two were known by all and she had no reason to be difficult when the school management seemed to have no problem with their relationship.


      She might not have the courage to give them any problem, considering their martial arts skills...


      Rumor had it that many guys were very fond of Yan Zheke, but they didn't have the confidence to approach this famous fighter.


      "Enjoy life? You have no idea..." Lou Cheng whispered silently to himself and put on an even bigger smile. "Teacher, please. How can we get it?"


      "Usually, you need to get a paper from your department, fill in this form, and get it signed by your counselor and stamped by the responsible deputy president before coming to me," said the teacher with a friendly smile. "However, for you two, we don't need it to be that complicated. The president spoke so highly of you and everybody knows you. We can do it through the Martial Arts Club. Fill in the form and get a stamp from the Security Department. That's all."


      "Got it. Thank you so much, Teacher!" said Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke happily.


      The Martial Arts Club on the upswing had been on good terms with the Security Department. Lou Cheng was pretty confident he could get it done easily.


      After merely ten minutes, he came back with two stamped forms to rejoin Yan Zheke outside. They successfully got their household registration pages that could prove their identities.


      The toughest step had been completed and everything else should be easy. They exchanged gazes and smiled lovingly at each other, content and expectant.


      …


      In a mall, Lou Cheng dragged Yan Zheke straight to the area for custom diamond rings.


      "Everything is expensive here. We better pick a special one in a jewelry shop." She attempted to stop him and continued with a sweet smile, "You need to save money so you can visit me more often. That's more important than a diamond ring. Give me a better one on our wedding."


      Lou Cheng thought about it and happily nodded with warmth in his heart. "Fine. I'll listen to Coach Yan!"


      They went to a well-known jewelry shop and eventually paid over 60,000 for a pair of rings. The diamonds shone so brightly, and they could barely tell if they were in a dream.


      …


      In a residential quarter, Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke followed the map to a photo studio specialized in wedding photography.


      "We have traditional, exotic, modern, and student-style clothing available. Pick any three." The receptionist did a double take at Yan Zheke's perfect skin.


      "Yeah." Yan Zheke nodded excitedly and began to browse albums. After seeking advice from Lou Cheng, she decided on a traditional chinese dress, a student uniform, and a casual suit.


      After a quick makeup application, Lou Cheng changed into a loosely fitted black traditional Chinese robe with red patterns. A while later, Yan Zheke walked out of the fitting room in a matching dress, elegant and decorous. Her hair was beautifully braided to match her dress. She looked more charming than ever.


      As she made her way towards Lou Cheng step by step, the wedding march was played in his head. He couldn't help stepping forward to receive her.


      His romantic imagination didn't last long. Soon, the photographer began to give commands.


      "Get closer!"


      "Put your heads against each other!"


      "Don't touch..."


      "Perfect. Stay!"


      Lou Cheng noticed Yan Zheke constantly moving to his back. He asked in a low voice, "Ke, what's the matter?"


      Yan Zheke cast a glance at him and smiled,


      "I want to stand a little bit away from the camera so my face looks smaller!"


      "The wedding photos are for life!"


      "..." Lou Cheng didn't say anything, but the happiness in his eyes was obvious.


      …


      The photos were ready very quickly. They took a cab and arrived at the marriage registration office in the Civil Affairs Bureau just after 4:30 PM.


      They read the posted requirements carefully. Yan Zheke stayed in the office to fill in forms and Lou Cheng took everything to get copies.


      Everything was done by 4:36. They managed to take a number before the staff got off work.


      It was just an average Thursday, June 26. Not many couples were waiting ahead of them. After ten minutes, it was their turn.


      They each took a seat and handed over their papers. Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke looked at each other, seeing the same excitement, expectation, joy, and nervousness.


      A lady in her 50s browsed their papers carefully and double checked everything in their database. She blurted out, "You are students?"


      Before they could say anything, she saw "Professional Eighth Pin, Dan stage" on her screen and began to process their marriage certificates without a word.


      A few minutes later, she put photos on the certificates and handed them to Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke.


      "Don't forget to update your marital status on your household registration pages in the police station."


      "Update?" Lou Cheng shared a puzzled glance with Yan Zheke.


      "We are married now?"


      "We are legally married?"


      The procedure was too simple to give them any time to adjust. After the lady kicked them out of the room, they began to feel the change in their status.


      Yan Zheke opened the marriage certificate of Lou Cheng and looked at their photo in traditional Chinese clothing and the date "26 June" under it, smiling and showing her dimples. She took out the male one of the pair of rings with a diamond in a decorative design.


      Her eyes announced her feelings out loud. She grabbed Lou Cheng's left hand, put the marriage certificate in his hand, and slowly put the dazzling ring on his ring finger.


      As the ring slid on tighter and tighter, Yan Zheke's eyes became watery and emotions flooded into her head.


      "The boy who ran until he was out of breath to chat with me, the youth who used to be so helpless whenever in front of me, the classmate who did everything to make me happy, the man who traveled far and waited all night in the rain just to see me, the boyfriend who never complained about his weariness, the silly Cheng who cherished me in his hands as if I were a piece of treasure, and the determined Lou Cheng who became a martial artist because of me is now my husband. He is my husband now!


      "As husband and wife, we are to grow grey together..."


      The atmosphere suddenly became solemn. Lou Cheng took out the female one, much bigger and with a more elaborate design.


      He held her tender hand, gave her the other marriage certificate, and put the ring on her ring finger.


      In the beautiful sunshine, everything was brilliant. Yan Zheke looked at him, shy but determined, her lips pursed and her head still.


      As the ring slid on her finger, Lou Cheng was suddenly overwhelmed by a mixture of feelings. Yan Zheke's figure from the past flashed in his head.


      "The classmate from next door I went by just to have one glance at, the goddess I couldn't resist locking my eyes on, the beautiful girl in a white and red suit of traditional Chinese robe in front of the Martial Arts Club entrance, the gorgeous figure I could only dream of, the well-cultured lady way more lively and more interesting than my expectations, and the stubborn maid who would never cry for sorrow...


      "The cute Ke who accepted my love confession and wanted five minutes to just laugh, the little elder sister who is always so good at throwing a tantrum, the straightforward Yan Zheke who loves to communicate, and the little fairy who has occupied all my beautiful memories about girls, is now my wife. She will be my wife starting today!"


      The change of status gradually caught up with them. Yan Zheke unrolled her eyebrows and smiled at Lou Cheng so beautifully.


      "Mr. Yan, nice to mee you!"


      A huge deal of joy began to roll in his heart. He responded gently,


      "Mrs. Lou, nice to meet you!"


      He couldn't help giving Yan Zheke a big, tight hug, and he whispered to her ear,


      "Wife, wife, wife..."


      Yan Zheke felt drunk in his voice and replied in a very quiet voice, blushful,


      "Husband..."


      The bright sunshine seemed to last forever.


      They walked out of the building hand-in-hand and got in the back seat of a cab to their dinner destination.


      As the car took off, a song came on the radio.


      "How deep and intense love is enough for two people to promise each other the rest of their life?"




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     433 Protecting You From Harm And Suffering
      "What deep and intense love is enough for two people to promise each other the rest of their lives?"


      The slow melody lingered in their ears. Regardless of the overall style, Lou Cheng was already feeling warm and fuzzy inside after hearing that line. It sounded so pure, giving him a sense of serenity and blissfulness.


      He could not help but turn back to look at Yan Zheke, only to see her also turn towards him with clear, bright eyes. Their eyes met and they both smiled.


      Yan Zheke snuggled against Lou Cheng and reached out to hold his hand. Their fingers crossed and the wedding rings knocked against each other with a tinkle. Their hands were on their laps, holding down the little red book (Note to readers: In China, at birth everyone has to register their identity under a "household account". The records are kept in a little red book. When a couple gets married, together with the marriage certificate, they would also register their names under the same household, the same little red book. ) With heavenly beams shining upon them, she leaned over and put her forehead on her newly-registered husband's shoulder.


      Feeling that weight, Lou Cheng had an unexplainable feeling that he never had before. Suddenly, there was the sense of a heavy responsibility. Together with it was a never-ending joy.


      This girl's life journey, happiness, and suffering will now be my responsibility...


      I want her to smile purely and without worries for life...


      The car continued to roll on as the music echoed, as though they were driving the path to eternity.


      During the dinner, amidst the shopping and flowers, Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke would get excited talking from time to time, and then quieten down from time to time. They would look at each other lovingly. It was like they only needed to exchange looks. Without any words, the connection between them beat the connection of countless people.


      Slowly walking through the "clouds", the pair finally returned to the hotel, back in the warm, cozy room that had been cleaned and tidied.


      "Ke, ever since we got our marriage certificate, you became like a newlywed wife. Wait, no, you're a newlywed! " Lou Cheng put down the cake and things that they had bought earlier. He teased his girlfriend. Wait, no, his wife!



      Yan Zheke pretended to glare at him, and said with a joking tone,


      "We haven't been married long and you want the couch already? With such a huge matter, such a sacred matter, can't I just be silent for a moment? Hmph, aren't you the same? Like a lost goose, can't even remember how to talk. All you know is to look at me and smile silly! "


      As he heard her words, he could not help but smile.


      Yan Zheke put down the luring roses and glanced at the little red book in her bag. Suddenly, she got emotional again.


      "It's so magical, Cheng. Did we just get married like that? We're now husband and wife?"


      Lou Cheng looked into her eyes and answered with a chuckle,


      "Yes, yes. The little fairy from the heaven is finally my wife."


      Yan Zheke's eyes glimmered and her dimples danced. She smile softly and said,


      "Coach Yan will also be your advisor for life..."


      After saying that, the two of them laughed.


      "Ke... "


      "Cheng... "


      This time, the term of endearment was no longer as each other's girlfriend or boyfriend. They were now man and wife, starting on a new journey in their lives.


      "Ke..."


      "Cheng..."


      In the midst of the soft mumblings, Yan Zheke's eyes glittered. Lou Cheng's body and heart tingled. The two of them got closer and slowly closed their eyes. They leaned towards each other and their lips touched.


      A soft thud. Yan Zheke's bag dropped onto the floor.


      Piece by piece, their clothes fell on to the ground. This time, the lovebirds were soft and passionate. It was no longer as vigorous as yesterday. Their eyes were open, looking at each other, looking deep into each other's eyes. Besides kissing, there was almost no distance between them.


      Yan Zheke hung around Lou Cheng's neck and looked at him lovingly. She panted slightly, feeling every gentle thrust going straight into her heart. Lou Cheng felt warm, wrapped, and embraced by the girl. They were melting together. Heart and mind, soul and body.


      Without any sense of time passing, there were soft groans, and they stopped for a bit, enjoying every moment, every bit of being with the person they loved so much. They hugged.


      "So this is our first night as man and wife, my beloved wife?" Lou Cheng kissed the girl's ear lightly and chuckled.


      Yan Zheke snuggled up to him and looked at him alluringly. "Can you at least say something decent?!"


      She laughed and reached out to caress Lou Cheng's face. Her slender fingers traced the lines of his face. Teasingly, she mimicked the speech of the olden days. "Yes, this is our wedding night, my beloved husband... I had intended to follow the traditions - to cut our hair and tie together. But sadly, you have no more than an inch of hair. It's impossible to tie them..."


      "Oh, yes, this is a problem then... " Lou Cheng laughed lightly. He humorously said, "Didn't you say I have a pair of trousers made of hair on me? We can use that."


      Yan Zheke's pink lips opened and closed twice. Half annoyed and half tickled, she said,


      "How does that count as being tied together?!"


      A "flipping the table" emoji appeared in her heart.


      This Cheng, how dare he!


      "Then, how about this... We cut up all the hair into bits and mix them up. There's me in you and you in me." Lou Cheng's fingers ran down her back that was glistening in a thin layer of sweat. He was no longer joking; he was seriously suggesting.


      "... sounds plausible!" Yan Zheke happily put on her lingerie and started to look for a pair of scissors. But once she made too big a movement, her body stopped involuntarily. She winced in pain.


      "Don't rush! There's nowhere to keep the hair even if we cut them now. Let's go and buy two fragrance pouches tomorrow and we can have them by our sides all the time. " Lou Cheng quickly hugged Yan Zheke and pulled her towards him. Feeling a little regretful for what he had done, he put his forehead on hers and said, "I wanted to hold back today and not do anything so that you could rest and recover, but in the end..."


      With her current physique of a top Professional Ninth Pin, she should have recovered quickly. But yesterday night he did not control himself well. It was too vigorous, too passionate, almost a little rough.


      "It's fine. Without this, the marriage that only belonged to the two of us would not have been complete. I... I didn't stop you either... " Yan Zheke said dreamily.


      She didn't stop him. Instead, she was enjoying every moment of it.


      With that kind of atmosphere and surge of emotions earlier, no girl could have resisted.


      "Oh, alright, so do you prefer today's style or yesterday's?" The newbie, Lou Cheng, was curious, so he asked, trying to accumulate some experience.


      Yan Zheke's pouty mouth opened for a bit. Her already flushed face turned even more red. She turned to look toward the side and pretended to be annoyed.


      "Neither!"


      "Seems like I've to try harder!" Lou Cheng played along and nodded as if he was in deep thought.


      According to his Listening Skill, Ke should have enjoyed both very much...


      Yan Zheke's mouth opened slightly like she wanted to say something. In the end, it seemed like she was too embarrassed to say it, so she did not. Instead, she hit Lou Cheng with "anger".


      In the midst of the longlasting ambiance, the pair fell silent for a while. With gentle eyes and smiles, they looked at each other.


      After a couple of minutes, Lou Cheng recalled something.


      "Tomorrow, Friday, we should hurry to change our marital status in the household registry records..."


      Before he could finish his sentence, he and Yan Zheke looked at each other and together they said,


      "Maybe not!"


      "Maybe later..."


      After a short pause, Ya Zheke stretched her hand out and started to draw imaginary circles on Lou Cheng's chest. She said, "If we do change our marital status, the school will find out. My mom and family will know too. It's not that I don't want them to know, but I'm afraid that they would think that you led me astray; always leading me along to do crazy things. Then they may develop a bad impression of you. I think we could just wait a little, till before our wedding ceremony, before we go change it. Or... maybe wait till someone chases us..."


      As he heard her speak, he felt his heart warm up. Gently, he said,


      "I also have the same thoughts. If my parents knew about how I just got married like that, they'd probably think that I never considered them. My mom would probably think that I've forgotten about her after having a wife. She might not think well of you. Such unhappiness may accumulate. Ke, let's just follow what you say. We won't change it for now. Wait till they chase. If they don't, then we wait till we have our ceremony. If my parents find out, I'll just say that it's my fault. It was me who got afraid, it was me who didn't have the confidence, so I asked you to marry me in secret."


      "Yes, yes. Same for me. If my parents find out, I will also say the same thing. I'll say that I was worried that I'll miss you and so I was selfish for once and pulled you to get married. " Yan Zheke's brows relaxed and she smiled at him warmly.


      In front of their parents, they would put all blame on themselves, and protect the image and relations of their partner and parents.


      The two talked a lot. They reminisced a lot, talked about the future a lot. It was only at half past 10 that Yan Zheke suddenly remembered that she wanted to take a shower quite some time back.


      In such summer heat, after running around the whole day, even a fairy would sweat. She had intended to shower clean before spending the first night with Lou Cheng. But in the midst of passion, she forgot about it. Now, she was even more untidy.


      "How dirty!" Upset, she hit Lou Cheng lightly before putting on her lingerie and flipping out from the quilt. She walked to the sofa nearby and put on her nightgown.


      Looking at her feminine curves and smooth, white skin, Lou Cheng quickly chanted the Forwarding Formula in his heart, trying to suppress his stirring feelings, afraid that he would not be able to hold back and pounce towards her once again.


      The night was beautiful. Unable to hold himself back from Yan Zheke's unintentional seduction, he did not manage to clear his mind and heart. He did not manage to sleep on time. Of course, considering that he had to wake up earlier tomorrow, plus her body was almost at its limits, the girl drifted off to sleep after having another exciting round.


      Next morning, Lou Cheng woke up on time. Unlike the usual days, he did not only have thoughts of training in his mind. Instead, he turned one side, leaning on a raised arm, he looked at his wife endearingly, his little fairy.


      Yan Zheke was sleeping soundly. Her lips were in a cute pout. Her nose had a little arch up, sharp and cute at the same time. Lou Cheng could not help but to kiss her once again.


      He took a deep breath and forced himself to get up. He did not dare to turn back, afraid that he would not be able to resist the temptation to stay. He quickly washed up, put on his clothes, and left the room quietly. He headed to where he trained yesterday morning.


      This time, his shoulders, his chest, and his heart were just a little more stable than the past. Somehow, he felt an urge to level up and do even better in martial arts. It was like all the hurdles were no longer hurdles.


      Bam, bam, bam! Pam, pam, pam! Punch after punch, kick after kick, every move was as swift as the wind. His heart and mind were clear and serene. With the Root Pulp that he was already so familiar with, he was calm and steady, filled with a positive atmosphere.


      He felt Root Pulp was the first step towards the Inhuman stage. He was waiting till he could borrow some determination, spirit, and some internal training method to slowly lead it to change. Then he would be another step closer to opening the doors to the Inhuman stage.


      Lou Cheng was at the first step. He had gone through what many would have taken ages to cross. He was at a stage of precipitation; he was strengthening his foundation.


      With a target in mind, he now had a new strength to practice hard. After a tough training, he felt like he had received a lot. His mood got brighter, and he almost wished that he had wings to fly back to the hotel to be with his wife, Ke, to share with her his progress.


      He ran back. When he entered the room, he found that Yan Zheke was already awake. The pair celebrated his breakthrough for quite some time.


      Just as Lou Cheng was contemplating to go out to buy a fragrance pouch, Yan Zheke suggested,


      "Cheng, let's head back to school and return the household account book. At the same time, we could treat Dirty Tong and the rest to a meal. "


      In the past two days, her mind and heart were filled with Lou Cheng. She completely forgot to bid her roommates farewell. If they went back any later, Li Liantong and the other girls would have returned home and there would be no chance to gather again before she leaves the country.


      "Sure." Lou Cheng knew that his wife was rather close with her roommates. Since they would not know when they could meet again, it was only logical that they meet now.




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     434 Returning Home
      After eating the cake and pastries they'd bought the night before, Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke left the hotel holding hands. They took a bus and headed back to the old campus, first buying a few different kinds of spice bags from a store just outside and then leisurely walking to the bus stop, swaying and recalling the four semesters they'd had at Songcheng University's new campus.


      At the Weishui Lake school building, there was a long bridge, a lakeside veranda, and other kinds of scenery. As the scenery reflected in Yan Zheke's eyes, a sadness rose in her heart that was hard to explain. She leaned closer to her previous boyfriend who had now become her husband, holding him tighter.


      With a kind of special connection, Lou Cheng could sense the sorrow that Ke was feeling at their imminent parting. His right hand looped around and grasped her shoulder, nestling her closer to his chest and comforting her spirit with his warmth.


      In the quiet but not oppressive atmosphere, the two lovers got off the bus, swaying their hands as they tightly held them together. They strolled towards the administrative building, hurrying to hand in her residence permit to the branch manager before they got off work.


      The excuse that they were going to use was an indisputable fact: because the joint exchange program that Yan Zheke was participating in had been moved up a year, the school needed to help handle all of the procedures. The two of them didn't have time to get a visa to go abroad, so all they could do was turn in their residence permits in advance.


      As for Lou Cheng obtaining an American visa, he didn't plan on doing so himself. He would prepare it through the Ice God Sect, which was more dependable and convenient. If he went himself, a dangerous guy like him approaching the Inhuman stage would certainly be examined thoroughly.


      After everything had been handled, it was approaching noon. They went to the Academy Cafeteria, and as they pushed open the doors to the room they'd scheduled in advance, they saw Li Liantong, Shi Xiangyang, and Zong Yanru.


      From the first time since inviting them out to eat, Lou Cheng and his previous girlfriend's (now wife) roommates had often bumped into each other. For example, during their dormitory communal meals, if they were outside campus, they would all wrangle him into being their bodyguard. If they were on campus, once they were finished, he would also come and meet Yan Zheke, walk off the meal they'd just eaten, and arrange another meeting. After obtaining the National Competition Championship, the two lovers had gone out to eat with them three times, so they weren't strangers to Lou Cheng. Simultaneously, they all smiled and one after the other greeted them with,



      "Hello, big martial arts family!"


      Lou Cheng was already used to being poked fun at in this way, and he raised his hand and waved it in response.


      "Hello, comrades."


      Hehe.... the girls all broke into laughter as they waited for them to saunter over. They took their seats, and also took the menu, tossing it towards Lou Cheng, putting him in charge of the selection. They then looked towards Yan Zheke, and all at once discussed her going abroad to study.


      "How can it be this sudden?" Li Liantong said, maintaining her silent and composed manner.


      "Ke, how many years are you going to go for?" Zong Yanru asked with concern. She had somehow known this would happen before.


      "Boo hoo hoo, I can't stand to see my sweet, bright, and soft Ke go! Even though I've already got a boyfriend, it's you who I love the most!" the tall Shi Xiangyang exclaimed, her eyes seeming lost and confused. She was half joking and half truly heartbroken as she spoke.


      She was the second of Yan Zheke's roommates to say goodbye to the single life. After two semesters of seeing others have boyfriends and girlfriends while she remained single, she'd had enough.


      Following these words from Shi Xiangyang, the mood became downcast. It made the tender and sensitive girls all recall every detail of the two years that they had known each other, and the edges of their eyes reddened.


      Yan Zheke kept her composure and said with a smile, "Going a year earlier is much better, this means I can come back a year earlier. Dirty Tong, Pak Choi, maybe you'll both still be studying and have not graduated yet."


      Li Liantong and Shi Xiangyang were on a seven-year medical program, so they still had a long way to go.


      "You may have a baby and we'll still not have graduated!" Ever since becoming familiar with Lou Cheng, Li Liantong had adopted her facade less and less, and from time to time would say a sentence like this that would startle you. After joking, she suddenly sighed and said, "What are we doing to do? It feels like we're breaking up. Ke, you can't be teased by me everyday now, I can't watch you become more experienced in the area of love, can't, can't..."


      As she spoke, her voice gradually faded, and she unexpectedly began choking back tears.


      This immediately made Zong Yanru and Shi Xiangyang's eyes moist. By bringing up this topic, the atmosphere became more and more melancholy, making Lou Cheng also feel unhappy.


      He'd told himself before that it was best to have faith and not let his emotions towards her get in the way of his decisions and make him lose his head. It wasn't like he would be looking back on their parting that was coming in just over a month with great sentimentality, so just concealing it was best. His attitude had become quite regimented as he didn't want to influence his fairy's mood.


      He blew out a breath of air, then stood up and said,


      "I'm going to order the food and go to the restroom while I'm at it."


      It didn't feel right to call in the waiter in this kind of situation.


      "OK," Yan Zheke said as she struggled to maintain her composure.


      Waiting for Lou Chen to exit, Li Liantong grabbed a tissue and wiped the corners of her eyes. She decided to change the topic and liven up the atmosphere.


      The corner of her mouth rose, and she looked at Yan Zheke. With a mischevious smile she said,


      "Ke, I remember two days ago you just packed your luggage and left! Ru Ru had also just finished taking her exams, so she should have told you then."


      "So..." Zong Yanru asked with slight bewilderment.


      Not waiting for Yan Zheke to open her mouth, Li Liantong snickered, "After being gone for two days, how is it that you so suddenly come back to school and invite us out to eat? Have you been 'close' these past two days? What have you been doing? In these kinds of times, when a couple is about to separate, it can be hard to control one's emotions, and you can't help but break through the previous boundaries that existed..."


      "How do you have such dirty thoughts!?" Hearing these words, Yan Zheke's sadness dispersed and was replaced with shyness surging forth. As was her usual habit, she interrupted the other person, wanting to change the topic.


      "Don't explain. If you explain, you'll just gloss over it. If you don't believe me, you can just ask Pak Choi and Ru Ru. They also don't believe that you could control yourself during a time like this." Li Liantong pointed to Shi Xiangyang and Zong Yanru, whose faces showed that they suddenly understood what Li Liantong was getting at.


      Seeing that Yan Zheke was still shy, she blinked, and in a low voice said, "I don't want to ask you about the specific details, I'm just curious. You know, school girls are always writing about romantic and erotic love, more so than boys. Inevitably, there will be some odd positions, no, divergences. I've seen that there are quite a few impressive fighters that have been written about. I figured that with all of their abilities, how is it that they could put them to good use. To shatter through and ascend to new realms... I just wanted to ask you, is it like this, for example..."


      "You can't ask that!" Yan Zheke immediately interrupted Dirty Tong once she understood the question. Her face became flushed and red, which gave her an indescribable beauty.


      Lightning flashed in her mind, and all she could feel was hot steam was rising from her cheeks.


      Seeing her state, Li Liantong laughed.


      "See, I'm right. If Ke and he hadn't done anything, she wouldn't have said 'You can't ask that' just now. Rather, she would have said, 'How do you know'. Gah, us three beautiful, young women have been cast aside for some guy from the outside."


      "You tricked me..." Yan Zheke blurted out, both bewildered and intensely shy.


      She had to admit, she'd unexpectedly been tricked by Dirty Tong!


      "The main thing is that you've been caught red-handed!" Li Liantong covered her mouth as she laughed.


      As she saw the state of Shi Xiangyang and Zong Yanru, who were also unable to contain themselves, it suddenly came to her. They leaned against the table, lowered their heads, and laughed as the atmosphere became more warm and welcoming.


      Yan Zheke was affected by them and gradually smiled as well, feeling that she hadn't done anything that bad. When Cheng was with her, he would help cover it up.


      Just then, Lou Cheng came back from the restroom. Pushing open the door and entering, he asked in astonishment,


      "What are you all laughing at?"


      Shi Xiangyang, Zong Yanru, and the others all glanced at each other. They remembered the example Li Liantong had given just previously and burst into even greater laughter after a moment, nearly slapping the table and pounding the wooden benches. Yan Zheke was again both shy and happy, unable to say anything.


      "..." Lou Cheng watched with bewilderment, feeling at a total loss.


      These four ladies were so heartbroken and full of sorrow a moment ago; how could they get so excited and laugh so happily after just a little while?


      Girls really were complicated!


      While eating, the mood from time to time would shift from melancholy to blissful, but everything had to come to an end. With all of the cups and dishes scattered everywhere, Lou Cheng called for the waiter to pay the bill and used his phone to pay.


      Heading out of the restaurant, they stood at the entrance. Zong Yanru, with tears in her eyes, said,


      "Ke, you need to look after yourself over there. When you come back for vacation, remember to get in touch with us."


      "Okay." Yan Zheke was trying with great difficulty to keep from crying, so she could only give a simple response and nod her head.


      Shi Xiangyang opened her mouth to say something, but found that nothing came out. She breathed in and again said, "Ke, if you have time, keep in touch. Now, now, it's the internet age, everybody can talk to each other all the time... You and Cheng be good. We'll wait for the two of you to get married and we'll give you a big wedding gift!"


      "Exactly, I shall give my best wishes to you two and you will get married one day!" Taking a cue from Yan Zheke Li Liantong spoke lightly and briskly, but the red corners of her eyes and misty pupils betrayed her true feelings.


      With some sadness, Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke bade them farewell. They looked in each other's eyes and again pulled each other's hands close.


      "If Dirty Tong knew she could just send us a wedding gift now, she'd jump ten feet high," Yan Zheke said, her mood complicated.


      "More than that, I think she'd jump so high her glasses would fall off and shatter!" Lou Cheng exclaimed with a smile.


      Afterwards, the newly-formed couple retraced their steps to the places that contained so many memories for them. From the springtime lakeside bursting with vitality to the vast and desolate western area, from the long bridge where they would often run into each other to the school building where they would go to class every day...


      After two and a half days, they went out less. Other than going out to eat or for training, they burrowed themselves inside their hotel room, even to the point where they ordered take out twice. Their two bodies became one and their Qi and Blood flourished. As their emotions burst forth, they did everything they could to please the other, basking in their unconstrained youth and enjoying the excitement of it, wishing that they could become forever joined together.


      On Monday, July 30th, Yan Zheke took the materials that Yan Kai and Ji Mingyu had posted and handed them to the university office. Then, together with Lou Cheng, they took the steps back towards Xiushan, their home.


      When she was needed here again, she'd come back, only the person accompanying her at that time would be Empress Dowager and not Lou Cheng.


      On July 30th, 5:40 PM, the high speed rail took off, quickly reaching the Xiushan stop.


      Lou Cheng did not play with his phone, but tilted his head, looking at his tired-to-the-bone fairy. As he thought back on the craziness of the past few days, his heart was filled with tenderness. He thought about how could it be possible his wife was this beautiful and how he liked everything about her. At first he put his arm around Yan Zheke's shoulder, but he felt that this wasn't enough, so slid his arm down towards her waist. Afterwards, he still felt that this wasn't enough, so he slid closer and completely enveloped her against his chest, breathing in the scent of her perfume.


      After a moment, Yan Zheke's eyelashes fluttered and she woke up from the dream that she had been in. She raised her head, and seeing the familiar face of Lou Cheng, the disappointment from her nightmare immediately dissipated.


      She reached out with her arm, wrapping it around her husband's waist.


      Silently holding one another for a moment, the two of their phones then went off simultaneously, each coming from each other's mother.


      "Hello, Mom, what's up?" Lou Cheng answered with surprise in a low voice. Beside him, Yan Zheke said something similar.


      Qi Fang answered at great length, "Are you almost here? We originally decided that you'd eat dinner at home, but your grandpa said we should come over because Erzi has invited us to dinner when he heard that you are back home."




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     435 Dear Mother
      "They are too hospitable to even postpone it for one day. My mouth is drooling at the thought of the food you make," Lou Cheng blurted out as he flattered her.


      Qi Fang smiled, proud of herself. "Is that so? I've bought all of the ingredients. Don't say it now, wait until you come home and then you can say it again. Wait for your father, and both of you can come back."


      "Okay, okay." Lou Cheng hung up the phone and turned his head to look at his wife, no, his leader, and laughed. "My mom."


      "How coincidental, me too!" Yan Zheke bent her eyebrows as she shook her phone. "Empress Dowager is standing over there in front of the plaza."


      Thoughts swirled in Lou Cheng's head, and he snickered. "There's no need for me to avoid them now. Now I can take you directly to them. Ke, what do you think, should I change it and call them 'Mom and Dad?'"


      Yan Zheke's mouth abruptly half-opened. She pursed her lips inward and good-naturedly looked Lou Cheng in the eyes as she lifted her chin up and said, "If that's your idea of being on good terms with them, I don't care!"


      As the two of them bantered flirtatiously, the high speed rail came to a stop. Lou Cheng rose up and used one hand to take down Yan Zheke's luggage as if it were a light children's toy.


      Carrying a backpack, lugging a suitcase, and also leading his wife along, Lou Cheng whisked out of the train in high spirits, entering the arrivals lobby.


      After being away, seeing the bursting sun and bright and beautiful sky upon their return along with the rising summer heat, he and Yan Zheke subconsciously looked at each other. In their hearts and their minds, they both seemed to sigh.


      These couple of days, which had passed like some kind of crazy dream, were coming to an end...


      As fragments and moments of that time flashed through their minds, the two of them became silent, but they gripped each other tighter and leaned closer to one another.


      Exiting the lobby and turning to the road, it was suddenly bright and spacious before Lou Cheng's eyes. The final splendid golden red hues of the setting sun covered the square. The scholarly and refined Yan Kai and the mature and beautiful Ji Mingyu were waiting a few steps ahead, holding hands in the same way and also holding parasols.


      "Your mom and dad seem so happy!" Lou Cheng broke the silence, complimenting them sincerely.



      And this was after being together for more than twenty years!


      Yan Zheke raised her head with pride and said with a smile, "You best work hard, young man' this is the model example you need to achieve!"


      "All goals are meant to be surpassed," Lou Cheng responded with a chuckle.


      While talking, the two of them had entered within earshot of Yan Kai and the beaming Ji Mingyu. Lou Cheng, somewhat lacking in confidence, said loudly, "Uncle, Auntie."


      "Mom, Dad," Yan Zheke said, not releasing Lou Cheng's hand as she coquettishly announced these two words.


      Ji Mingyu was about to speak as her eyes glanced over her daughter, but her mind suddenly came to a halt.


      Even though there was some exhaustion hidden in Ke's expression, her entire being radiated with beauty. She was positively glowing, and it was enough to make any mother a feel a bit afraid...


      Putting the pieces together, with her going abroad very soon and the imminent fact that she would then have to part with her boyfriend, Ji Mingyu, with her experience, could guess what had happened.


      However, she did not blame Lou Cheng in any way. As he had entered the Dan Stage and became the Youth Tournament Champion, she had thought that these two young people would taste the forbidden fruit soon enough. In light of this, she has subtly hinted to her daughter to take the necessary precautions. She hadn't expected this boy to be able to restrain himself for long.


      Recalling once again how her daughter had not given up on her dream because of this, and how it was obvious that her boyfriend was being understanding and supportive of her, Ji Mingyu viewed Lou Cheng in a higher light, and she was pleased.


      "So now that you've got a boyfriend, you can't give your mother a kiss?" she joked as she glanced at her daughter, lifting her left arm.


      Yan Zheke's face blushed. She released Lou Cheng's palm, took half a step forward, and gave Empress Dowager an intimate embrace, saying delicately, "Of course not!"


      Due to her own private lifelong matters, she still felt ashamed in the face of her mother and father.


      Ji Mingyu turned and looked towards Lou Cheng, laughing warmly as she said, "Where is the Lou family's home? Let's go, we can drop you off on the way. Getting another car is too much of a pain."


      "Okay. Thank you, Auntie." As his mother-in-law had extended an olive branch, Lou Cheng didn't conceal anything.


      After talking, he silently mouthed towards Yan Zheke, expressing that he what wanted to say was "Thank you, Mom." This caused her to wrinkle her nose and stare at him softly.


      The Yans' car was parked outside of the square. Along the way, Ji Mingyu and Yan Zheke propped their parasols. Yan Kai and Lou Cheng walked alongside each other, listening to the mother and daughter chat, occasionally chiming in with a few sentences.


      After putting the luggage in the SUV, Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke sat in the back row, fastening their seat belts together.


      After starting the vehicle, Yan Kai turned his head to look at his daughter and laughed. "Ke, your grandma and grandpa have invited you to go to Zhengque County for a while to keep them company. They're afraid that after you go abroad, it'll be hard to see you again until you come back after a year."


      "How's that possible? Of course I'll come back for the National Holiday, it's basically the same as it is now!" Yan Zheke subconsciously explained herself.


      "Your grandma and grandpa's thinking is that calling on the phone isn't very convenient." Yan Kai smiled warmly.


      Yan Zheke looked up as she said, "Then we can video call online! That way they can see me directly. That's right, this time I need to teach Grandma and Grandpa how to use that!"


      Listening to their conversation, Lou Cheng suddenly felt a kind of loss. Ke was gonna go to live with her grandparents for a few days, which meant that they would have to be apart for a while. Their time together before she went abroad was quickly becoming shorter and shorter...


      Just then, Yan Zheke turned her eyes and glanced at him. With her face blushing, she said firmly,


      "Dad, wouldn't Grandma and Grandpa like to meet Cheng? When it's time, I will go together with Cheng."


      Ha... Ji Mingyu, who was driving, laughed despite herself, half out of disdain and half out of pride.


      She didn't know if her daughter coming into her own was a good thing or bad thing...


      Yan Kai was silent for a moment and laughed with mixed emotions. "That's fine."


      Upon hearing this pleasant surprise, Lou Cheng's melancholy disappeared and he was unable to help himself from pulling his little fairy's hand towards his side.


      As they looked and smiled at one another, Yan Kai was already asking, "Then when are you going to go?"


      "We'll wait a few days. I need... I need to take a trip to Cheng's family...." Yan Zheke glanced around nervously, and the more she spoke, the lower her voice became.


      The disgraceful daughter-in-law must meet her in-laws...


      Also, she'd gone from a theoretical daughter-in-law to becoming an actual daughter-in-law....


      Even though Yan Kai had prepared himself, he still felt a particular kind of melancholy. In his mind, his daughter was still young. How could time fly so fast that his daughter was already going to see her in-laws?


      "Then you'll need to prepare well. I remember I didn't quite understand all of it in those years, and there was no one to teach me, so I made a bit of a fool of myself on the first visit," Ji Mingyu said "angrily", full of remembrance of those times.


      Yan Kai mumbled, "Send my greetings to Lou's parents."


      In Xiushan, unless it was a blind date of two youths, the parents of both parties should not meet with each other when it was time for the younger generation to meet the elders. They had to wait until the younger couples solidified their relationship and were prepared to discuss marriage. Only then could they professionally arrange a few set times to meet in order to determine the wedding date and other details.


      "Thank you, Uncle Yan." Lou Cheng hurriedly sent a greeting in the place of his mom and dad.


      After a short while, according to his directions, Ji Mingyu parked the car on the opposite end of the street.


      The real-life daughter-in-law, mother-in-law, and father-in-law all waved goodbye as Lou Cheng entered the familiar yet somehow unfamiliar neighborhood.


      The overall layout of the area and the arrangement of the buildings had not changed. Ten years had passed as if it'd been one day, like being frozen in time. The passersbys coming and going were the same as well. They were just a bit more mottled, had more grey hairs, and there were more fresh newly-born faces.


      The new Lou family home that they'd purchased at the end of April was finished with its renovations, but they still had to wait for a while. According to Qi Fang, they had to wait until October and then could choose a day to move in.


      As Lou Cheng walked down the road, some people called out, some sent their greetings, and others asked their children to take him as example, causing him to smile endlessly.


      He briskly stepped up the stairs, took out his keys, and opened the door. He still hadn't entered when he saw his mom come over and welcome him, laughing as she said, "So fast!"


      "Uncle Yan and them gave me a ride," Lou Cheng answered calmly. Looking at the living room, he asked, "Where's Dad?"


      "Him?" Qi Fang responded gruffly, "Ever since he became the factory director, he's been busier than before. He insists on saying he can't let down others' trust in him, and every day when it's 6:30, he's still not home!"


      "Don't mention your father." She turned and said with a smile, "When is Zheke coming over? You need to remind your mother so I can be well prepared!"


      Her daughter-in-law was on on the verge of paying a visit, so she had taken the initiative by taking Yan Zheke and omitting it to become Zheke.


      "Ke can come anytime over the next few days, it depends on you both!" Lou Cheng responded hastily.


      "How about tomorrow? No, no, if I prepare some food for you, I don't know what she does and doesn't like. I still have to do a big sweeping and get everything in order around the house again. Can't see my daughter-in-law with the house in such a state..." Qi Fang said to herself, "Also, I need to give your aunt a call and make her bring over some of the vegetables from her garden. The Yan family's very well off, so they're probably sick of eating expensive things. They need to try something new..."


      Listening to his mother prattle on, he could feel the importance she attached to her daughter-in-law, and Lou Cheng's heart warmed. He was unable to keep himself from laughing.


      "What are you laughing at?" Qi Fang had just grabbed the phone but hadn't had time to dial.


      "I'm happy for Ke," Lou Cheng answered humorously.


      Qi Fang beamed. "I asked around; Zheke is a good girl. Refined and beautiful. Certainly better than you were before. Didn't you yourself tell me how great she was before?"


      In the middle of bringing this up, she suddenly sighed.


      "Cheng! When you were in high school, I was so worried that you still hadn't found a girlfriend..."


      Gah.... Wasn't I tight-lipped and introverted in high school? Lou Cheng didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and he was speechless.


      A doubly violent attack coming from his mother!


      Once Qi Fang had communicated with Qi Yan and settled on two days from now, Lou Cheng hurriedly took out his phone and sent a message to Yan Zheke, whom he'd already made a note to change into "Dear Wife".


      "My mom says two days from now. She really thinks highly of you. She was especially asking me what you like to eat; she's going to go back to the market to buy some things and she's making our aunt bring some vegetables over from her garden. She has also made a plan on sweeping the entire house, going to get her hair done..."


      For the sake of harmony between the two families, he wasn't the slightest bit stingy when it came to telling the other party what the other had said.


      Yan Zheke blushed and laughed. "Auntie's a good person."


      "You need to call her 'Mom!'" Lou Cheng snickered.


      "Get out of here, I don't have a husband like you!" Yan Zheke said, sending an emoji that was blowing a whistle and holding up a red card. She nervously and timidly said, "I'm still not used to calling people out like this. When I was just typing, my face was burning hot. How shameful!"


      "But you've already called me out once or twice over these few days," Lou Cheng responded, sending an emoji smiling wickedly and raising its eyebrows.


      "That's when I was only half-conscious..." After sending this message, Yan Zheke abruptly came to her senses. Her face became red and hot as fire, and her face was full of regret as she replied, "I don't understand you!"


      After a moment, Lou Zhisheng called, asking Qi Fang and Lou Cheng to directly come down, saying that Erzi had driven over specifically to pick them up.


      "Not bad!" Qi Fang said, tugging her son along as they went out the door and down the stairs, arriving at the entrance of the neighborhood.


      This time, Erzi was driving a Mercedes. He was outside smoking and chatting with Lou's father, Lou Zhisheng. Seeing Lou Cheng come over, he immediately put on a smile and came up to welcome him.


      "Cheng, finally I can see you. You're the pride of the Lou family!"


      The day was getting slightly dark. Lou Cheng glanced at him, and found that he closely resembled their cousin Lou Yuanwei. He smiled modestly and said,


      "No, no, Brother Erzi, you're also quite impressive."


      Why call him "Brother Erzi?" Because up until now, I'm still not sure what his real name is...




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     436 Group Photo
      "Haha, I've just worked hard to earn money. Come on, let's get in the car. Grandpa Si is going to be ready over there in a minute, we can't make him wait too long." After seeing Lou Cheng, Erzi put out the remaining half of the cigarette in his hand without any hesitation, startling the still-smoking Lou Zhisheng beside them for a few seconds.


      Lou Cheng shook his head. "You've worked hard for your money, then have you also shed sweat, blood, and tears to earn money?"


      Money earned through true blood, sweat and tears!


      At that moment, Lou Zhisheng followed suit by putting out the cigarette in his hand, throwing it in the trash can and sitting along with Qi Fang in the back row.


      Erzi waited for Lou Cheng to fasten his seat belt and then started the car, driving towards Lou Debang's house. Laughing as he drove, he said, "I watched the National Competition from start to finish. Awesome! In every guy's heart, there's the hidden dream of becoming a master, and now you're already a master..."


      Along the way, he didn't talk about anything else, so Lou Cheng complied and chatted with him about all things related to martial arts. Now and then, Mother and Father Lou would fiercely compliment Lou Cheng with a few sentences, making the atmosphere friendly and relaxed the entire time.


      In his eyes, it was just that he'd been around in the business for a few years... Lou Cheng had this assessment in his heart, but kept the story from coming out of his mouth, maintaining his manners.


      Arriving at Grandpa's house, Lou Cheng had just finished answering everyone when he was pulled in by his cousin Ma Xi. Her eyes sparkled as she pointed at a pile of magazines and notebooks.


      "Brother, you promised me that you'd give my classmates your signature!"


      After saying this, she then spoke with both a sense of pride and worship. "You're the idol of at least half of our class!"


      "Well, if they say I'm their idol, then I'll have to kneel down and sign all of these." Lou Cheng was in a fantastic mood as he good-naturedly mocked himself. He took a picture of the large pile of magazines and notebooks and sent it to his dear wife, using an emoji hanging its head as he remarked, "The hardships of being famous!"


      "Yeesh, it's just your handwriting." Yan Zheke said, "Get to it, don't be so full of yourself."



      Seeing the smile on her cousin's face, Ma Xi curiously asked from beside him, "My sister-in-law?"


      Every person who had seen the finals had been impressed by that final embrace between Yan Zheke and Lou Cheng.


      "Yeah, she's discouraging me." Lou Cheng nodded with a smile. He took a pen and began to write out his last name, his wrist steady and using moderate strength. The more he traced, the worse it became...


      "Finished!" he proclaimed at last, finishing this activity that had shattered his confidence in his calligraphy abilities.


      Of course, if he was writing the characters for "before", "attainment," and others, he could visualize and match them together, and he could see them in his consciousness.


      "Thank you, Brother. You're the best!" Ma Xi excitedly gathered up the magazines and notebooks.


      Once their brothers and sisters came out into the room, they put the two tables together, and delicious meat and vegetable dishes came out one after the other. Their fragrances lingered, different from the previous ones.


      "These are the wild animals that my uncle-in-law and I caught in the village. Have a try, it's good." Erzi grinned as he gave Lou Cheng an introduction and complimented Lou Zhiqiang, "It's also because Uncle's craftsmanship is so good; an ordinary person would be able to prepare these."


      Slightly pleased with himself, Lou Zhiqiang smiled. "The flavor of these wild animals is just like what the cook would make when I was in the army back in the day..."


      He unknowingly went on about those years, completely missing the glare on Erzi's face.


      The flavor of these wild animals was just like those...


      Lou Cheng, who was to the side listening, wanted to laugh at this man who proved himself capable of offending others merely by opening his mouth. By the time he'd gotten to his seat, he'd already tried a few different flavors, and his heart immediately shot up.


      This really wasn't bad... he'd have to let Ke give it a try...


      Right, he had been worrying that he didn't know what gifts to bring for Ke's grandparents...


      Uncle Yue in the village told me to go and find him if I want to eat wild animal meat... Hehe, I am considered the person who saved his son's life...


      As his thoughts were swirling, he wasn't ashamed to ask for help from those who knew better than him, and he immediately asked around as to what these delicious dishes were, firmly remembering responses from Erzi and the others.


      During this meal, Lou Debang ate quite excitedly, and also made an exception by drinking two glasses of alcohol. He complimented Lou Cheng and again urged Lou Yuanwei to follow Erzi, as he couldn't fail to live up to the family's training.


      Arriving at this point, Lou Cheng then discovered that his cousin Lou Yuanwei seemed to be putting on airs, and as a result he asked with concern, "Brother, what are you doing now with Erzi?"


      He had the intent to ask his cousin this when his mother mentioned it before. But he was too obsessed with Yan Zheke's heading abroad a year earlier, so he didn't pay attention to the current situation of his cousin.


      Lou Yuanwei didn't have time to respond when Erzi just laughed and said,


      "You've obtained the National Tournament Championship and become the favored fighter of the age. You have glory throughout all of Xiushan city! The martial arts atmosphere has flourished, and on top of that, your city organization's performance preliminaries weren't bad. It just wasn't quite good enough to make it to the second stage. There are quite a few supporters, so your city plans to construct a new martial arts arena to form a place for exercise, relaxation, and entertainment all in one.


      "When I first came here, my appetite wasn't that big. I just wanted one piece of the pie, but my manpower wasn't sufficient, and I wasn't skilled enough, so I pulled in Yuanwei to help me out."


      Talking to this point, he looked at Lou Debang and said, "Grandpa Si, you can relax, Yuanwei has been great so far in the time he's been with me."


      While it seemed like Lou Cheng had heard everything, he hadn't discovered anything. In contrast, the elder members of the family all sighed one after the other at the fact that he had made a name for himself. He was considered a household name in Xiushan, like a celebrity figure. Not only had he directly helped bring out a new fad, but he'd helped change the planning of the city.


      A celebrity? Erzi snickered and lightly nodded his head.


      Grandpa Si and the other family members were less in touch with the martial arts circle and didn't have any kind of actual experience. They only knew that Cheng was highly regarded and extraordinary, but as for what specifically was highly regarded and extraordinary and what meaning this had in actual society, they didn't have the slightest idea. They only thought that he resembled a celebrity.


      As a matter of fact, from the viewpoint of himself as the half-insider of the martial arts circle, Cheng would one day become a powerful man in the upper class with reputation and influence.


      He didn't say any of this and changed the topic, speaking briefly about the head of the household in Qingfu county.


      As the lively evening meal came to a close, the vindicated Lou Yuanwei winked at Lou Cheng, conveying that he wanted to tell him something.


      "I'll go to the fridge and get some fruit." Lou Yuanwei was the first to take action as he stood up and headed towards the kitchen, causing his mother, Wang Lili, to feel an urge to wipe away tears.


      Lou Cheng made the excuse of having to go to the restroom and then wound through the kitchen. He saw Lou Yuanwei just taking out his phone, unable to keep from smiling as he started to talk with someone.


      "My... my girlfriend," he said with a slight embarrassment to his cousin.


      "Oh? Brother, when did you get a girlfriend?" Lou Cheng was shocked.


      Hadn't his cousin not succeeded after a few arranged dates?


      "Just a little while ago." Lou Yuanwei laughed, not looking at him in the eyes. "We knew each other before through a game, but back then, I failed after trying to make a move several times. I didn't have an ounce of confidence in my entire being, and didn't have to nerve to pursue her. Recently, now that I've been running the business with Brother Erzi, I've managed to find a bit of self-confidence and also make some money."


      As he talked and talked, his voice gradually lowered, and he suddenly blew out a breath of hair. Full of hesitation, he said, "Cheng, it's like I'm in a dream now and I'm not grounded. What do you think? If Brother Erzi's business doesn't succeed or if I carelessly offend him, then wouldn't everything go back to the way it was before?"


      Lou Cheng could see that he was worried about his personal gains and losses. As he considered it, he thought back to how he and Ke would only exchange a word or two every once in a while when they were classmates. Putting his own knowledge and personal experience together, he said,


      "Brother, you don't have to be so worried. The important thing from here on out is what you can learn from this experience. You see, one aspect of business is funding, the second is connections, and the third is vision. If you follow Brother Erzi, you'll surely come into contact with lots of business people and have good dealings with them. Is this not accumulating your contacts?


      "Afterwards, you can get a lot of rewards from this project and obtain vision. Even if in the future this doesn't succeed or you fall out with him, you'll become a better Lou Yuanwei and you'll be able to find a way out."


      Lou Yuanwei listened with concentration and his expression gradually relaxed, as if the myriad of issues on his mind were solved.


      After a period of silence, he laughed at himself. "Cheng, how is it that I feel you're much more mature than I am? It's like you're the one that's the older brother. Just then, I was about to call you older brother."


      Lou Cheng pointed at himself and snickered. "Come on, go on then!"


      "Smartass!" Lou Yuanwei smiled and turned, taking some fruit from the fridge and starting to rinse and cut them.


      After dinner, Erzi suggested that they should take a family photo since everyone was finally gathered together, and he could find a place with a digital printer.


      Lou Cheng didn't feel one way or the other, so he stood to the side of Grandpa, completing the group photo.


      After taking the family photo, Erzi again pulled Lou Cheng towards him, saying that he wanted a photo with the favored fighter of the age.


      Since it was such a trivial thing, Lou Cheng couldn't refuse. Taking a cue from his fairy, he pulled back a step and looked into the lens with a slight smile.


      After chatting idly for some time and taking the three Lou family members back home, Erzi drove at high speed to Qingfu county. Entering his company, he turned on a computer and printed off the photos.


      Taking the photo of the entire family as well as the one with him and Lou Cheng and examining them carefully for a moment, the smile on his face deepened. He rummaged up two photo frames and stuffed them inside. Then he put them on his desk, facing any guests that would come in.


      Just then, his cellphone rang. There was a call coming in.


      "Hello, Brother He, you're looking for me this late?"


      "I'm at the company, come over. We can talk face to face."


      "OK, OK, OK, I'll wait for you."


      As he put down his cell phone, the corner of Erzi's mouth rose and he directed his gaze to the window, staring towards the chaotic environment below.


      After a half hour, there was the clamoring of footsteps. A mature, thirty-something-looking man in a western suit pushed opened the doors to Erzi's office. He saw him sitting behind the desk, slowly twirling a pen with both hands.


      "President Lou, so refined," the man in the suit said with an aloof smile.


      At that moment, his gaze swept to the photo frames on top of the desk, seeing the two photos inside.


      "Lou... President Lou, you haven't shown your true colors!" The man in the suit first was startled, then the color slowly came back to his face. His aloof smile brightened.


      The corner of Erzi's, or Lou Yuanchang's, mouth curled more distinctly.


      ...


      In the Lou house, after his father, Lou Zhisheng, went to take a shower, Lou Cheng once again spoke with his mother, Qi Fang, about which foods Yan Zheke liked to eat.


      While idly chatting, he suddenly remembered something and interrupted,


      "Mom, do you know Erzi's real name? It seems you've never told me."


      I also never thought about asking before...


      Qi Fang was blank for a moment, then responded,


      "Lou Yuan... Lou Yuan what? Agh, I don't remember very clearly."


      Talking to this point, the mother and son looked at each other and smiled, casting this thought from their minds.


      It didn't matter what his name was!




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     437 A Small Thing
      After skimming over the topic of Erzi, Qi Fang returned to the main topic. Both perturbed and full of curiosity, she asked,


      "Cheng, when you go visit Zheke's house, how much money in the red envelope did you receive from her parents?"


      I need to go to the bank tomorrow and get this prepared!


      Hearing this, Cheng smiled and said, "10,001 yuan."


      That time when it was the unofficial visit with his mother and father-in-law, he didn't bring any corresponding gifts. He was waiting until they went to Jiangnan and then he could go for a "leisurely stroll" with the elder member of the Ji family (no, he should call him "Grandpa"), and then he could give them a large sum of money.


      Actually, in regards to the Ji and Yan Families, 10,001 yuan really wasn't that much. Only when you considered the Lou family's situation as well as the fact that Lou Cheng was still studying did it carry a significant meaning in actuality.


      "10,001... that's good, good." Qi Fang sighed with relief, her smile coming back again.


      Two months ago, she would have been worried about the issue of giving presents to her future daughter-in-law, because she had spent almost all her savings on buying a new house and its refurbishing. But now things were getting better. Lou Cheng's father, Lou Zhisheng, had gotten promoted with some shares and a corresponding bonus. Thus the families finances slowly but surely became enough for them to manage, so that they could take out 10,000 yuan without any issues.


      As for the two young ones to be married, it was still early! They still had at least three years. When the time came, the family would certainly be well off!


      Lou Cheng could sense his mother relaxing, and he couldn't help but grin.


      "Mom, there's no need for you to go to the bank tomorrow, I've got nearly 10,000 in cash right here. You can just scrape up a little bit and that will be enough."


      "The gift for your wife... " Qi Fang made a slip of the tongue, then laughed and said, "It's the homecoming gift for your girlfriend, how can I use your money?"


      Lou Cheng calmly and gently said, "But if I give my own parents money due to filial piety, is that not the proper thing to do?"



      Mom, you're not wrong. She is my wife, I've got the certificate...


      "Absolutely not. This is a gift from your father and I for Zheke." Qi Fang waved her hands as she refused. "At this point, our family can handle this. Keep your cash for yourself to spend, don't make her feel wronged."


      "Okay, okay, okay." Lou Cheng didn't persist. Anyway, in two days, he'd find another opportunity to give his mother the money.


      At this moment, Lou Zhisheng came out of the shower, and the three family members talked at length about Yan Zheke's visit and meeting the in-laws as a television program played in the background. At last, Qi Fang clapped her hands together, deciding that tomorrow after she was done with the housekeeping, she would escort her husband to go buy a few nice items of clothing in order to avoid embarrassing her son.


      The stars were sparse and the moon was bright. As the night gradually became darker, Lou Cheng finished washing up and lied on his bed, sharing with Yan Zheke all of the topics they had discussed, along with other amusing anecdotes, perfectly acting out the role of an enemy within his own family.


      After talking about this, he could feel the isolation and silence all around him. He sighed and smiled as he pressed the keyboard and said,


      "This night is endless. I can't sleep alone!"


      Yan Zheke snickered in response. "That's too bad. I have Empress Dowager accompanying me, and we have talked with each other throughout the night, so I don't understand what this 'loneliness' you're talking about is."


      After talking, she sent an emoji symbolizing "You think I'll sympathize with you? I can barely keep from laughing".


      Afterwards, she added, "Alright, alright, Big Sister will dote on you tomorrow. Be a good boy and go to sleep."


      Knowing from experience his dear wife's subtle fluctuations and changes in mood, the corner of Lou Cheng's mouth rose, and he said with a wicked smile, "How will you dote on me?"


      "How will I dote on you? In broad daylight, in a crowded public place right in front of everyone. What kind of doting would you like?!" Yan Zheke said with fake anger.


      "I just wanted you to take me to eat breakfast. Where do you want to go? Classmate Ke, you've got a bit of a dirty mind lately!" Lou Cheng replied mischievously.


      "I..." Yan Zheke face became red. She gritted her teeth for a moment and then sent an emoji slapping someone's head and said, "It's because you're so perverted, it makes me think dirty things! I blame you for everything! Quick, say 'I'm wrong'!"


      "Yes, yes, yes, Coach Yan, I'm wrong." Lou Cheng held in a laugh as he typed, and at the same time felt a strange sense of longing.


      Seeing his response, Yan Zheke was quiet for a few seconds and then said,


      "Cheng... "


      "What?" Lou Cheng replied suspiciously.


      "I miss you a little..." Yan Zheke took her phone and lied down, and her eyes softened.


      Even though they'd only been apart for four hours...


      "Me too." Seeing these words, Lou Cheng's mood settled and his heart became tranquil like the moonlit scenery outside the window.


      This was the opposite of fiery passion, and he felt it was another kind of beauty.


      ...


      Early the next morning, Lou Cheng got out of bed early and washed quickly. After doing some warm-ups before his physical training, he put on the navy blue Longhu Club martial arts suit and ran towards the villa estate at Back Water Lake.


      Upon arriving at the entrance of the neighborhood, he sent a message. He didn't have to wait long before he saw Yan Zheke running out, her raven black hair tied up. Her whole body was white as silk, and she looked both smart and beautiful.


      "What a coincidence!" Lou Cheng laughed as he opened his mouth.


      Classmate Ke was wearing a women's Longhu Club martial arts suit. Along with him, it really seemed as if they were wearing coordinating couple's outfits, and they hadn't even discussed it beforehand!


      "Very coincidental!" Yan Zheke's dimples appeared as she smiled sweetly.


      Girls always liked it when coincidences like this happened, as it made them feel like both sides' hearts and minds were interconnected.


      Without many words, the two of them stared deeply into each other's eyes, and with a smile on their faces, they headed towards the path of Back Water Lake.


      Daybreak came early in summer, so those who exercised in the morning also had to adapt themselves and do so earlier. Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke went through three places and then found a relatively hidden and remote place to practice.


      After a tender-hearted kiss, the two of them separated. Lou Cheng adopted his stance and loosened his joints, causing cracks and pops to emit from inside his body.


      After doing this, he couldn't help but lean his head and looked towards his wife. All he could see was Yan Zheke's rosy cheeks as she prepared to practice her still stance.


      "You, practice your stance. What you are looking at!?" Sensing Lou Cheng's gaze, she playfully protested with a fluid glance, flowing with charm.


      "I'm looking at the power of your training style," Lou Cheng responded playfully as he began training, his posture fierce as a tiger.


      They then concentrated on their own training, every once in a while looking at one another. The two of them felt that the time passed very quickly, and in the blink of eye, the early morning exercises came to an end.


      "Ke, what plans do you have today?" Lou Cheng asked with a smile as they slowly jogged back to eat breakfast.


      Yan Zheke turned her eyes and said, "I shall chat with my mom and dad and help them cook dishes. There is one more thing: I have to buy a gift for your family.... And you?"


      "If you'd have said you didn't have any plans, we would have just fooled around." Lou Cheng laughed mischievously.


      "Fool around with yourself!" Yan Zheke said angrily, but laughing as she glared at him.


      What kind of phrasing was this?!


      Lou Cheng laughed, turned, and said, "Now that you're going to spend the day in domestic bliss with Father-in-law and Empress Dowager, I'll go back home and help my mom do a big clean-up."


      At the moment, he still wasn't overly familiar with his in-laws, so if he went and inserted himself into their daily affairs, it would be quite awkward and might destroy both the atmosphere and feeling.


      "After doing the big clean-up, I'll go to the Gushan Martial Arts School and borrow their Strength Training Gymnasium to train for another two hours so that I can try and attain the Inhuman stage earlier. Then I'll look for Qin Rui and Fatty Jiang and get together with them..." He described his plans.


      "Alright." Yan Zheke nodded her head up and down.


      As they jogged, the two of them slowed their pace, grabbed each other's hands, and then resumed their quicker pace.


      After they had eaten rice dumpling outside of their former middle school and he'd escorted his fairy to the neighborhood entrance, Lou Cheng went through the day according to his plan.


      ...


      The afternoon was intense. The scorching sun hung in an empty sky, and it was as if steam was rising up from the ground like heatwaves.


      Lou Cheng, Jiang Fei, and Qin Rui hid in a row underneath the shade of a tree and sat on top of a railing. They leisurely looked at the entrance of the middle school, at the growing young boys and girls entering together.


      "Cheng, if you weren't wearing glasses, a huge group would surely come and surround you," Fatty Jiang said as he turned around and looked at his pal's glasses.


      "Yeah, Cheng's a big celebrity now in Xiushan. For all of the new recruits in the martial arts schools, there's no need to say much. All you have to do is mention that he did some part-time work here as a coach, and the number of people who sign up explodes." Qin Rui followed up with a laugh.


      After he'd achieved meditation, his strength had increased quickly. After he had received the physical training of the preliminaries, he was nearly at the level of a Ninth Pin, and he had quickly overtaken Dai Linfeng.


      Lou Cheng laughed lowly and said, "But I got here by fighting tooth and nail, so the both of you aren't jealous. Right, how is it that Old Cheng hasn't come again? Usually, when I try and find him on QQ to talk, he takes a long time to respond."


      He reckoned he hadn't seen Cheng Qili in nearly a year.


      "It's the same when I look for him. Gah, maybe it's that he's made a lot of new friends in university and he's busy with other things. Doesn't have time to meet up with his old classmates." Jiang Fei sighed. "I always thought that as time went on, the amount of classmates we would keep in touch with would drecrease, but the three of us and our friendship would be preserved for a long time. Agh, the next time that Old Cheng will think of us will probably be when he sends his wedding invitations..."


      I don't know whether I will or won't send him my own wedding invitation... Lou Cheng silently judged him, and was quite disappointed. When it came to friendship, if one person dropped contact, then they would quickly become like strangers.


      "There's not many other classmates who behave like this," Qin Rui joked.


      "I'm just making an analogy, merely wallowing in my anguish at Old Cheng losing touch." Jiang Fei pointed at the entrance of the middle school. "I miss those years. Me, Cheng, and Old Cheng would sit over there from time to time and stare at the entrance to see which pretty girls were worth appreciating. When it was almost time to get to class, we'd go inside. There was one time when we saw Yan Zheke, her long hair flowing..."


      Talking till now, he remembered that goddess' final destination, and grievously looked at Lou Cheng as he said, "Forget it, I won't say anything. This really is a tragic story."


      "Haha." Lou Cheng laughed with his whole body.


      Qin Rui followed him by laughing. "I've heard that they've recently switched educational directors, and they've demanded that girls shall not keep their hair long... "


      "Damn, what a pervert!" Jiang Fei cursed in agitation.


      While talking and laughing while telling stories about school, Qin Rui smugly said, "Cheng, what do you think the chance is of me entering a Professional Ninth Pin Ranking Event?"


      He had looked for Lou Cheng in the morning to ask for advice.


      "If you bear down and train hard for three months, the chances are high for the October Ranking Event," Lou Cheng answered without flattering or disparaging him.


      "Alright!" Qin Rui clasped the railing, his smile difficult to conceal.


      Jiang Fei heard all of this and then let out a sigh. "I feel like the two of you and I are in different worlds. I've just enrolled in school and still want to become a successful person. My dream is just to study for two years, follow the straight and narrow, and find a job where I won't be working hard until I'm old after graduating."


      "After two more years, your requirements will be even lower," Lou Cheng teased, "Just having a job will be enough!"


      "Maybe... no, I need to pull myself together!" Jiang Fei seemed as if he'd gotten a shot of adrenaline.


      He had once wanted to lose weight and persist in training, but after winter break, he didn't have many results, and eventually it became once a week. Usually, he'd just goof off, and he kept his original body shape. As a result, as before, he didn't have a girlfriend.


      While Jiang Fei was muttering to himself, Lou Cheng's cell phone went off. He had a call coming in.


      "Hello, Master?" He saw that it was comrade Shi Jianguo and quickly accepted the call.


      "Hey, you little brat, your visa to America is under handling." Geezer Shi coughed. "Are you busy today?"


      Lou Cheng responded in confusion, "No, I've got nothing going on."


      Why is Master asking about this?


      "Good. I've got that small thing for you to do. At most it'll be half a day of work." Geezer Shi snickered.


      A small thing? Lou Cheng said to himself in shock.




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     438 Linbian
      "What is it?" For some reason, Lou Cheng's heart was beating nervously.


      Sometimes Master isn't very reliable!


      Geezer Shi snickered. "The Ice God Sect has a disciple called Li Zhenhua in Linbian who's run into some trouble. You're pretty close; go over there and take care of it."


      Taking the high speed rail to Linbian would take an hour and a half, so it really was only half a day worth of effort... Lou Cheng nodded and asked for more details. "Master, what trouble?"


      "It'd take a long time to tell you, brat. You don't appreciate this old fogey at all!" Geezer Shi scolded, "Remember this phone number. Wait a minute and then call it, she'll tell you everything from the beginning, XXXXXXXXXXX."


      "Okay..." Lou Cheng repeated it back twice, hinting at the adjacent Jiang Fei to help him remember. He turned and said, "Master, I'm not doing any part-time work at the sect. If I take on this assignment, will there be any kind of reward?"


      "Heh, when did you become so money-grubbing?" Geezer Shi laughed in astonishment.


      Lou Cheng laughed with embarrassment. "Isn't Ke going to study abroad in America? I need to collect money for the fare."


      With regards to his influence, connections, and business partnerships with others, for the moment he still hadn't crossed this threshold in his mind.


      "Not bad. You realize that you need to have money for this, quite the sense of responsibility! There'll definitely be a reward. How could the sect possibly mistreat you? If they do you wrong, they'll have to face me!" Geezer Shi then warned with some urgency, "When you get to Linbian, if there's any kind of accident, remember to give your master a call."


      "Okay." Lou Cheng didn't say much, and after the phone call was over, he quickly dialed the number that his master had given him.


      A cheerful ringtone hadn't gone on for three seconds when the other side had already picked up and a female voice said with exhaustion and worry,


      "Hello, who is this?"


      "I'm Lou Cheng from the Ice God Sect." Lou Cheng lowered his voice and spoke concisely.


      The girl's voice suddenly lifted. "Hello Senior, I'm Li Zhenhua's girlfriend, Zhang Xiaozi."



      Senior? Lou Cheng was dumbstruck at being called this, but he was unable to correct her and instead got straight to the point. "What's happened with Li Zhenhua?"


      His girlfriend was answering the phone!


      "They haven't told you? Zhenhua, he's disappeared... Senior, this whole thing is complicated. I can't explain it very clearly like this. Wait until you arrive and then I can tell you all of the details face to face."


      As expected, Master isn't very reliable.. . Lou Cheng silently judged him, then thought about how he had to go and have a look, so he agreed and said, "Alright, when I reserve a ticket I'll let you know. We can meet at the railway station."


      "OK, OK, OK, I'll wait for you, Senior." Zhang Xiaozi obviously was relieved, as if she'd found someone to depend on.


      Senior...does my voice sound that old? Lou Cheng snorted in ridicule. He opened an app and purchased a ticket for 2:25 heading to Linbian. For now, he didn't bother with a return trip.


      "Fatty Jiang, take me to the high speed rail station. The sect has something for me to handle." Lou Cheng and Jiang Fei had never been one for niceties when it came to speaking with one another.


      "Hey, Cheng, you've really got the essence of the business elite!" Jiang Fei had finished watching a workplace TV drama the night before.


      Lou Cheng was about to mock himself, but he suddenly had a change of heart. "Wait, wait, Fatty Jiang, take me home first, and then go to the high speed rail station."


      Linbian was not a part of Xing Province and was strategically located on the border. Although its distance from the border was still somewhat far, it was a transport hub, so a large number of people came and went. The public security situation wasn't the best, to the point where you could say it was somewhat in a state of disorder. Even in Xiushan, everyone occasionally would hear about a big case that had happened over there. On top of that, it was an area with many different ethnic groups, and the atmosphere was fairly tense. So even though he didn't plan on getting in a fight, it'd be best for him to get well-prepared.


      As the car went along, Lou Cheng took out his phone and sent a message to Yan Zheke along with an emoji covering its face and sighing.


      "The better you are, the more work you get. I've been told by my master to go to Linbian and handle a younger disciple who's stirred up trouble..."


      I'm the martial uncle of the disciple. If it were someone who had the same rank as me, that would be out of my reach...


      Yan Zheke responded quickly with a doge emoji.


      "So... so sudden... Linbian is really unstable. Cheng, you need to be careful! Go and get your martial arts suit, and if you run into any kind of situation, don't hold back and make your well being priority... "


      She'd said so much in so little time, and at the end added, like a clever child sitting up straight, "I'm waiting for you to come back!"


      "When my dear wife speaks like this, I feel like nothing can stop me and I can come back successfully!" Lou Cheng sent an excited emoji with a towel wrapped around its head. "I'm going to get my martial arts suit now."


      Upon arriving home, he picked out his other navy blue Longhu Club martial arts suit and changed into some exercise shoes that Wu Qinggui's company had custom made for him. He tightened the cuffs, grabbed his phone and wallet, and walked out of the entrance with large strides.


      2:08


      He was dropped off by Jiang Fei at the high speed rail station.


      2:15


      Lou Cheng passed through security and got on the train.


      2:25


      The train left on time, roaring towards the south.


      3:52


      The train stopped at Linbian station. Lou Cheng sent Yan Zheke a message and then followed everyone else out of the carriage.


      3:59


      His thick navy blue suit was steady as he strode like the wind towards the arrivals hall and found a statue of a white horse in the square in front of the station.


      This was the place he and Zhang Xiaozi had arranged to meet at!


      "Sen... Senior?" a 20-something girl with long, straight, flowing hair asked with uncertainty.


      Wearing T-shirt, short pants, and running shoes, she looked thin and comely in appearance.


      "Zhang Xiaozi?" Lou Cheng asked rhetorically.


      "Yes, yes, yes, you're Senior Lou Cheng? Didn't they say an old master would be coming?" Zhang Xiaozi asked half in astonishment and half in doubt.


      Due to this assumption, she had directly addressed him as "Senior."


      "I can see that you're clearly not a disciple of the Ice God Sect and don't follow University Martial Arts meetings or any other similar topics..." A s this thought swirled in his head, Lou Cheng calmly nodded.


      "I started late, so my seniority is high."


      Not waiting for Zhang Xiaozi to ask any more questions, he looked towards the spot to queue up for taxis. Tidying up his martial arts suit cuffs, he said,


      "Let's walk and talk, I don't want to waste time."


      Someone had disappeared, every second counted!


      "Yes, Senior." Zhang Xiaozi quickened her step. As she walked beside Lou Cheng, she recounted everything with great speed. "Linbian has a rich and powerful person called Si Jianting. He's colluded with a warlord from the wartorn southern area. He's opened quite a few casinos in that area and takes advantage of lots of people who go there for fun. People go there and lose to the point where they lose their entire family fortunes. Zhenhua's father was one of those people, and he killed himself right there inside the casino when Zhenhua was 13. Ever since, his family has been destitute."


      "So he's gone to get revenge? Is there any proof?" Lou Cheng asked as he didn't stop walking, getting to the heart of the matter.


      If there were no clues to support this kind of revenge, the sect normally wouldn't handle it.


      "Yes." Zhang Xiaozi quickened her pace to a small run. "He's been watching Si Jianting for two or three years. He said he'd found conclusive evidence, so he quickly came back to Linbian. He brought me along for fear that something might happen. If I saw anything that wasn't right, I was to notify the sect immediately."


      "Then how did he disappear?" Lou Cheng slowed down for a moment, as he wasn't eager to quickly approach the point to line up for taxis.


      There were a lot of ears around. Who knew whether any taxi driver knew people over there?


      Zhang Xiaozi panted and said,


      "Last night... last night, Zhenhua said he'd go explore Si Jianting's Linfu Building to find that conclusive evidence. I saw him go in, but for the entire night, I didn't see him come out. I saw something that wasn't right, so according to what he'd told me, I immediately called the senior brother from the sect."


      "Before I spoke to the sect, I applied some pressure to the provincial offices and made the local police department handle it, but none of them cared. They looked through once and didn't find anything. They looked at the surveillance footage and there weren't any images of Zhenhua entering. I... I clearly saw him go inside!


      "I urged them again and again, but there was nothing. So I had to report to the sect, and they've sent you here."


      Even though Lou Cheng expected that he was quite a bit younger than her, under the circumstances, she was desperately grasping at straws and she didn't dare have the slightest change in her demeanor.


      Lou Cheng again quickened his pace and, lowering his voice, said,


      "First, let's go to the Linfu Building to have a look. You try and remember carefully, think about if you've missed out any important details. We'll talk again when we get out of the car."


      "Yes, Senior." Zhang Xiaozi huffed and puffed as she walked.


      At 4:21, the car stopped at the Linfu Building on the opposite side of the street.


      Dressed in the navy blue martial arts suit, Lou Cheng pushed open the doors and got out, surveying the 19 story building. Amongst the universally flat and old-fashioned Linbian, this was a landmark that had a real feeling of modernization to it.


      "For the past few years, Si Jianting has always been tipping his toes in anything he can find, and he's started to get involved in real estate. This was developed by him and a few other joint partners..." Zhang Xiaozi gave an introduction.


      Her speech hadn't lagged when her eyes suddenly widened. She pointed across from them and said,


      "Si Jianting!"


      Lou Cheng raised his eyes and glanced. All he could see was the silhouette of a hook-nosed half-century old geezer with seven or eight bodyguards under his control crowded around him. He was walking towards the entrance of the Linfu Building. As he glanced around, the expression in his eyes was sharp and ice-cold.


      So this was Si Jianting... In the car, Lou Cheng had seen pictures that Zhang Xiaozi had taken of him, but they hadn't said anything.


      Compared to Si Jianting, Lou Cheng cared more about two of the bodyguards who were leaning closely next to him. One was tanned and his face had the characteristics of that southern war-torn area. The other's muscles bulged out from his t-shirt, and his every step was taken with exact precision, neither too short or too long, as if he'd taken a ruler and measured each of his steps.


      They were both Dan stage fighters. As for what specific Pin they were, it was hard to tell simply from their appearances.


      "The two of them are quite strong. If they weren't there, Si Jianting wouldn't have lived up until now. The dark-skinned one is Vincent, he was an assassin for hire in the war-torn areas. After he got injured, he was taken in by Si Jianting and became his confidante. When he was at his peak, it's said he was close to the power of a Sixth Pin. That muscular one is Huang Chengda. He's actually not quite as good as Vincent, but he's also a fighter who's seen a lot of bloodshed in the war-torn areas." Zhang Xiaozi repeated the information that Li Zhenhua had gathered. "Senior, don't be careless. They've surely got guns on them, large-caliber ones..."


      As she spoke, she nervously said to herself, "Where are they going? Back home?"


      "Ask the local police department," Lou Cheng calmly instructed her.


      "Okay." Zhang Xiaozi anxiously took out her phone and sent a few questions. Her face suddenly became sallow.


      She turned her head and hurriedly said to Lou Cheng, "Si Jianting will go to the south to discuss business.... The policeman said that there's no proof and no clues, so they can't stop him.... Senior, he...he wants to run away!"


      The south was the border area!


      And with Si Jianting gone, Li Zhenhua would most likely be missing forever...


      "But there's no evidence!" Lou Cheng saw two black limousines driving towards the doorway of the building. Vincent quickly ran ahead to pulled open the second door from the back. Huang Chengda drew close to Si Jianting to protect him.


      He thought and thought. He dialed his master's number and quickly and concisely repeated the current situation.


      "You decide," Geezer Shi said, seemingly with a feeling of schadenfreude.


      "Where's the line?" Lou Cheng replied with a question.


      Geezer Shi mumbled for a few seconds, coughed twice, and said,


      "Don't take anyone's life."




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     439 Superb Skill Engenders Bravery
      Don't take anyone's life.... The corner of Lou Cheng's mouth twitched. He silently hung up the phone and then looked at the terrain around him. He then set out towards the entrance of the Linfu Building.


      "Senior, they're going to get in the car..." Zhang Xiaozi followed, hurriedly reminding him as she ran.


      Lou Cheng didn't look at her and calmly pressed down with his right hand, indicating that he didn't want to talk.


      Meanwhile, he dialed another number, Yan Zheke's number.


      After a brief ringtone, she quickly picked up as if she'd always been waiting, full of concern.


      "Hey, Ke, my master is quite unreliable. The small thing he told me to take care of is actually big trouble." Lou Cheng laughed bitterly.


      Before, when he was en route, he had fully trusted his master. He'd regarded the trouble with Li Zhenhua and his disappearance at Linbian as an issue that was pressing but not dangerous. Even though he'd prepared his fighting equipment, it was just in case of the unexpected, a nonessential precaution. Therefore, he had spoken to Ke carefreely and happily.


      After he had arrived, when Zhang Xiaozi had made everything clear and given him the whole story, he felt that his assignment was mainly to try and discover more clues and to pressure the local police department to do another search, which in a way suited his Dan Stage acuteness. Even if there may be a fight, he would be at most a subsidiary figure, and he'd just be getting in on some of the action in a nice and easy way.


      Until the indication that Si Jianting was fleeing and his master had stated the line, he started to feel that the whole situation was becoming somewhat thorny and a bit dangerous, so he had to explain it to his girl.


      The master is defrauding his disciple!


      Putting her phone to her head, Yan Zheke's breathing was made more serious by the clear and crisp sound of the phone signal. After a moment of silence, she said, "Can you please not do it?"


      Lou Cheng smiled. "It's about the life or death of a martial nephew. Ke, relax, I won't fight if I'm not absolutely certain. Honestly speaking, I'm not his dad, his mother, or his master. I don't have to put myself at risk for him."


      This sentence made Zhang Xiaozi's face turn white and her legs nearly buckled.



      He wouldn't go all in unless he had absolute belief. Did that mean the situation would be hopeless?


      Confronting two fearsome fighters, the five or six bodyguards with guns, and Si Jianting, who had been at the Ninth Pin level in his prime, and the at least Inhuman stage Senior still wanted absolute certainty. This was truly at a higher level!


      "Exactly, he can't compare with me!" Yan Zheke relaxed slightly, then full of concern randomly added, "Promise!"


      "I promise." Lou Cheng deeply and solemnly gave her this guarantee.


      If Si Jianting didn't get in the car and didn't have a group of men under his control, and he confronted the two probably Seventh Pin Dan Stage Fighters and quite a few bodyguards with large caliber firearms on their person, then while he could seize a chance, it wasn't worth taking the risk for some martial nephew that he didn't know. After all, in case he got entangled with a master and their powers became intertwined, he wouldn't be able to endure it.


      It was like the time when he had gone to protect the Guo household. A Seventh Pin fugitive facing him, who at the time was at best a weak Eighth Pin, along with four armed guards. Upon finding out the truth then, he had wanted to back out and didn't want to take a risk.


      However, now that they'd gotten in the car, this was simple, as this was equivalent to a fighter entering an iron coffin. It was a restricted and narrow space and there was no way to move around. You wouldn't be able to use even 50% of your full abilities, and furthermore, the gunmen were in the first car.


      According to other masters who had not yet arrived at the Inhuman stage, you may not be able to seize this kind of opportunity. However, as someone with a supernatural ability, and also possibly a disciple able to release a formidable power earlier than expected, in his own eyes, they were just living targets.


      "Okay." Yan Zheke was reasonable and knew that she shouldn't say much more, but she still couldn't help adding a few words, pretending to be at ease as she said, "Give me a call in a while, I'll be waiting."


      "No problem." Lou Cheng grinned as he hung up the phone. He handed his phone and wallet to Zhang Xiaozi and said, "You, get further away."


      It was in his mind that the cell phone should be kept from being broken, for fear that he couldn't give Yan Zheke a call if anything happened. His wallet even more so couldn't receive any injuries, as it was a gift from his wife.


      "Ok, ok, ok, be careful Senior." Zhang Xiaozi's heart was pleased as she took the items and set off quickly.


      At 4:26, Si Jianting's motorcade set off and drove towards the exit of the Linfu Building. Most of the bodyguards were in the first car, while he himself was in the second car. To his left and right were Vincent and Huang Chengda. The man sitting next to the driver was another bodyguard.


      As the first car was turning into the wide and spacious main avenue, and the second was changing directions, Lou Cheng, who was quietly lying in wait on the opposite side, suddenly strode over in a burst of energy. He was like a roaring northern wind and made a few pedestrians' hearts tremble. They instinctively fled to a distant place, wanting to keep far away from this place.


      Bang!


      Lou Cheng stomped and his body arched down. His fists stretched forward with a shake, throwing out two scarlet-red blazes.


      The two blazes flickered brilliantly, hiding their true brutality as they surged forth, leaving a scorched trail in their wake. They separated and charged towards the two cars, each one aimed at the oil tanks!


      Crash!


      Ear-piercing friction sharply rang out, dragging on for a long time. The front and back cars both frantically swung the steering wheels, attempting to avoid those terrible-looking flames.


      Boom! The fireball that had been aimed at the front car with the bodyguards erupted. A wave of flames soared between it and the car behind, creating a partition between their lines of sight.


      Bang! Lou Cheng's muscles bulged and the cement cracked beneath his feet. He quickly seized his invulnerability and pounced towards Si Jianting in the black limousine!


      Leaning on the peak physical qualities of his Sixth Pin status, he forced his footwork to push into a different level, coming to Ascension to Heaven's Stars!


      Of course, while this was equivalent to Qiu Lin's level, it couldn't compare with Peng Leyun and more so with Ren Li.


      "Don't stop!" the experienced and dark-skinned Vincent shouted as the "fireball" attacked, using the unfamiliar-to-him Chinese language.


      However, he was unable to prevent human instinct, and the driver had already braked and turned the car, creating a screeching sound as the tires changed their trajectory.


      At this moment, Vincent felt a stab of pain in his side, and his hair stood on end as he felt danger approaching.


      Without thinking, he immediately drew in his strength and threw out his elbow with all of his might, hitting the car door.


      Bang! Both connecting sides of the car door momentarily split open and changed into a kind of steel shield, flying towards the outside.


      From Vincent's point of view, this could give his opponent a hard time and also help him separate himself from the car at this critical moment. If he was stifled in this narrow space, it'd be very difficult to use his boxing skills fully!


      However, Lou Cheng's reaction speed was faster than his, surpassing what he had imagined. As the car door's connections had split open, he'd already leaned in close. His waist lowered and shook, his Qi and Blood contracted and released, and his left arm momentarily enlarged as his palm pressed down on top of the door.


      Bang! On the eve of flying forward, the car door was rigidly pressed down and caved in as it twisted in shape, exposing the wires, components, and other parts inside. It smashed in the opposite direction and into Vincent's body, causing sharp pain and vertigo.


      At that moment, Si Jianting, who had experienced these kinds of situations many times before, had keenly shrunk back to give himself space. He had already pulled the gun from Huang Chengda's hand and shot towards the deformed car door.


      Bang! As soon as he had attempted to pull the trigger, Lou Cheng had perceived it. He straightened his back and moved his legs backward, promptly freeing himself and landing on the roof in a flash. He dodged the bullets that had been fired. Additionally, the car had still not stopped and the bodyguards had not gotten out. Their line of sight was also obscured by the wave of fire. The passing traffic noticed that something was wrong, and they had promptly responded accordingly.


      Due to the location that Lou Cheng had chosen, they weren't too disturbed, to the point where some people wanted to stop their cars and enjoy the bustling scene.


      Bang! Lou Cheng's wrist trembled again and the scarlet red fireballs changed shape, hurtling towards the roof at Huang Chengda's position, provoking a reaction from him. The fireball hurtled towards the sky like a bird, and it exploded with a bang.


      Seizing this opportunity, just as the bodyguard next to the driver reacted and began to come over, Lou Cheng pulled back and once again fell to the ground. Without delay, his left hand sent out a sparkling snow-white ray of freezing light, landing right in the middle of the confused and disoriented Vincent's head, who didn't have time to react or dodge.


      With a gasp, the outside of Vincent's head became congealed with a layer of ice crystals and thick frost, temporarily losing all feeling.


      Staggering his feet, Lou Cheng scrambled towards the back of the car, avoiding the gunfire from Huang Chengda and the bodyguards from the front seat. His body straightened, his hands interlocked, and his muscles bulged out in the wake of the power of his Dan.


      Crack! Lou Cheng's eyes opened furiously, and his feet extended out like spiders webs. His arms lifted and rocked, and with an unrivaled power like moving a mountain, he flipped the black limousine on its side!


      Bang! Crash! As Huang Chengda and the bodyguards in the front seat twisted and turned, they were unable to aim at their target, and their bullets landed in the flower terrace beside them.


      While they were somewhat panicked and lacking the ability to shift places, Lou Cheng shook like a demon, arriving at Huang Chengda's car door. He kept away from directly facing the door, and by using both of his hands, shattered the deformed cracks. He gravely opened his mouth and said,


      "Army!"


      As the vehicle twisted, Huang Chengda was aware of the danger, and he prepared to fire indiscriminately to the left and right, forcing the enemy to retreat. Afterwards, he took Si Jianting and removed him from the car, drawing him closer to the other bodyguards. However, his mind was still buzzing and humming, as if he was in a nightmare from his childhood. For a moment, he unexpectedly shivered in fear, unable to have any other kind of response.


      Just then, the snow-white ray of freezing light flew in through the crack, smashed into his face, and similarly congealed into a thick frost, making him lose all feeling.


      The effect of Ice Burning to the head was not much more than a Severe Warning, but it still packed enough of a punch to make one dizzy!


      Bang! Lou Cheng used his force, pulling off the door, but he didn't go inside.


      Bang! With a sinister look on his face, Si Jianting opened fire, but the bullets hit empty air.


      Over by the other car, the bodyguards charged out. Some carried guns and others had knives.


      Bang, bang, bang! At the sound of Si Jianting's gunfire, Lou Cheng used his invulnerability and landed by Vincent's car door with one jump. Both of his hands shook, and he threw an Ice Burning cold light towards the bodyguards from the front seat, who were dismayed and attempting to fire, as well as the unaware Si Jianting.


      With two gasps, just the two Ninth Pins were covered in white frost, temporarily becoming ice sculptures.


      Lou Cheng stooped his body and first set out for Vincent. Regarding him as a weapon, he threw him at the other tightly packed bodyguards, making them either dodge or become bowling pins.


      Immediately afterward, he grasped once again, pulling out Si Jianting and displaying him all around for a moment.


      Suddenly, the bodyguards ceased their efforts and didn't dare make a move again.


      Lou Cheng pressed his hand towards Si Jianting, who was still shivering with cold and had not fully regained consciousness. With a peaceful and calm tone of voice, he said to the bodyguards, "Are all of you are still here? You've all got weapons on you and just had a firefight in the middle of the street. The police are going to be here any moment."


      These words made all of the bodyguards come back to their senses. Seeing that their boss had already been captured, they had no way to reverse the situation. They all stared at each other and immediately scattered like birds, making their getaway. All that remained were Vincent, Huang Chengda, and the bodyguards from the front seat who had still not recovered.


      Recalling the image he had in his mind of the classic villains, Lou Cheng reached out his hand and helped the gradually-coming-his-senses Si Jianting by patting away the frost on his neckline. He said with a smile,


      "Boss Si, can you have a nice chat with our Ice God Sect right now?"


      On the opposite side of the street, Zhang Xiaozi looked at the time on her cellphone in bewilderment.


      4:28.




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     440 Returning
      4:28.


      Looking at the young man clad in deep navy blue before him, Si Jianting's face was full of malevolence. While his frozen jaw made a sound, no words came out, as if he wasn't willing to reveal anything.


      Lou Cheng knew that the saving operation was urgent, so he didn't delay. His expression immediately became serious, and in his mind he visualized the sharp and frigid Army Formula.


      He did not complete the formula, and also didn't pronounce the ancient words. He only melded this battlefield vigor with his own terrifying energy and conformed all of this into his words, constricting Si Jianting's spirit.


      "Where is Li Zhenhua?!" Lou Cheng shouted gravely.


      Si Jianting shivered mysteriously. His entire body shivered, but many years of experience dealing with blood and carnage in the wartorn areas had made him stronger and unwilling to admit defeat.


      Lou Cheng narrowed his eyes, and he repeated it.


      "Where is Li Zhenhua!?"


      "Where is Li Zhenhua!?"


      The two sentences poured into his ears like thunder, and it was hard for Si Jianting to keep his fear from showing. It was if he'd gone back to the days of his youth when he'd been kept in the water prison of the warlord.


      "Where is Li Zhenhua?!" Lou Cheng exploded with energy, and it was as if the surroundings were effused with the stench of blood and a cold, blowing gale.


      "I'll, I'll talk..." Si Jianting was unable to take it. His spirit was thoroughly defeated, as if he'd seen death and judgement day themselves.


      A spot of suspicious moisture appeared in the crotch of his pants. With a running nose and flowing tears, he bawled,


      "I'll talk, I'll say everything. He's not dead, not dead. He, he, he's in my office on the 19th floor, in a secret room..."


      As Si Jianting spilled his guts and made his stammering confession, Lou Cheng could roughly make sense of the course of events.


      After Li Zhenhua had infiltrated the building the night before based on the tip he'd been given by a traitor within the ranks that he'd bribed, he found the accounts book for one of Si Jianting's casinos and discovered that he'd smuggled illegal materials from the wartorn areas. This was his definitive proof, but upon successfully collecting the book and preparing to leave, he was discovered by Vincent, who had been patrolling the area. He was violently sneak attacked and taken away without any trouble.



      Afterwards, suspicious about how his enemy had slipped up, Si Jianting secretly rushed over under the protection of Huang Chengda and had severely beaten Li Zhenhua. As a result, he discovered that he was a disciple of the Ice God Sect. His mind suddenly burst open; he could almost imagine the pressure he'd be under after daybreak.


      At this point, they couldn't possibly let Li Zhenhua leave, as he already knew quite a few things, and he also had a profound hatred of him. They had to handle that night's security footage and afterward look for a way to stall time and trace back their steps to erase any evidence of their guilt.


      After dealing with arisen problems, Si Jianting didn't dare to take chances, and he immediately made arrangements to flee. He planned to go to the warlord's place in the wartorn areas to stay away from trouble. As for Li Zhenhua, he wanted to directly have him eliminated, but he didn't dare do so. Under the circumstances, with all of the suspicion and fingers being pointed him, if he killed an Ice God Sect Disciple or made him truly go missing, then he'd be waking a sleeping giant. Perhaps they'd send an Inhuman or even Physical Invulnerability stage Mighty One to come and chase him down. Fleeing to a collaborator that wasn't that strong would make the opposition start to have fewer misgivings.


      Therefore, this time Si Jianting intended to temporarily forgive Li Zhenhua. In any case, he'd already arranged to leave, destroyed what should be destroyed, and taken care of his property. Afterwards, he'd find another opportunity and create an "accident," something that wouldn't make people suspect that it was a premeditated affair to wipe out this enemy that hated him so. Then he could finally rest easy, return to his hometown, and take back his property.


      Why did criminals dealing in shady business all like to record their accounts... . Lou Cheng recalled all of the television shows and novels that he'd seen and silently retorted. Afterwards, he lifted up Si Jianting, who had collapsed and become soft as mud, and spun around over to face Huang Chengda. He lifted his knee up and with the tip of his foot kicked under his ears, causing the Dan Stage fighter to go into a thorough state of dizziness.


      With his other hand, he pulled Huang Chengda and lifted him up. He slowly and deliberately took him, Vincent, and the driver that had been beside the car and tied them all together, almost as if they were one person. As he did this, he didn't at all prevent the driver from escaping.


      The reason he was going to such trouble was that he felt he had to cleanly and neatly wrap up the situation. What if Vincent and Huang Chengda were lunatics? What if they wanted to retaliate against any other Ice God Sect members after they escaped?


      The other bodyguards didn't have this kind of power, but they did!


      Since this was the case, he'd simply give the police two for one and deliver them both to the local police department, then the sect could apply some more pressure and determine a harsh sentence for them.


      The bodyguard beside the driver wouldn't receive such treatment, as he'd directly been flung into the flower terrace after being attacked by Lou Cheng. If he were able to regain consciousness before the police arrived, then he'd be considered lucky.


      As Lou Cheng piled together Vincent and Huang Chengda, and then used one hand to drag them along, Zhang Xiaozi ran over, both startled and overjoyed as she crossed the street where almost all the cars had already made a detour past.


      "Senior, Zhen, is Zhenhua okay?" She panted with anxiety and nervousness.


      "It's not too bad." Without seeing his condition with his own eyes, Lou Cheng could only answer vaguely.


      Zhang Xiaozi had already come to believe him from the bottom of her heart, and a brilliant smile emerged after she heard what had been said. "Thank you, thank you, Senior..."


      She had not yet finished speaking when her phone suddenly rang. She took it out to look and her expression changed.


      "The police department..." She frantically looked at Lou Cheng, asking him what to do.


      This was obviously because after someone had called the police, they'd guessed that the Ice God Sect was making a move and immediately contacted Zhang Xiaozi, who was responsible for communicating with them.


      Lou Cheng thought for two seconds, then composed himself and with a leisurely smile said,


      "Just tell them these five words, 'There have been no fatalities.'"


      "Yes, Senior!" Zhang Xiaozi immediately regained her own sense of judgment and hurriedly answered the call.


      She hummed a few times, and then, emulating the tone of voice that Lou Cheng had just used, she steadily and calmly stated,


      "Rest assured, there have been no fatalities."


      She spoke no more words into the phone.


      Lou Cheng could see that Li Zhenhua was in no immediate danger, but he was afraid that his fairy had been worrying for too long. He temporarily stopped dragging Vincent and Huang Chengda as he entered the Linfu Building and took his phone and wallet back from Zhang Xiaozi, then he dialed that key number.


      He held Si Jianting up with one hand, and stuck one foot atop Vincent and Huang Chengda, his thick, navy blue suit unruffled as he stood. Afterwards, he watched the distant cars making their detours as he waited for his wife to pick up.


      4:33.


      As the call connected, Lou Cheng was afraid that Yan Zheke would misunderstand, so he rushed to talk first and said,


      "Hey, Ke."


      Yan Zheke clearly released a sigh of relief, and with joy in her voice asked,


      "Did you abandon the plan?"


      "No, it's already solved." Lou Cheng laughed lowly, listening to the dumbfounded Zhang Xiaozi beside him.


      The "professionally serious" senior was suddenly also capable of producing this kind of laughter...


      "Sorted? It's, it's only been a few minutes.... You, didn't you say that this small thing had become a real pain?" Yan Zheke was both startled and bewildered. Her body and mind both relaxed, and she was so happy she felt like she'd explode.


      Hearing his fairy's clearly flabbergasted voice, Lou Cheng was unable to keep himself from boasting. He said with a slight smile,


      "I made a few errors in my judgment. Before, when I was talking to you, I really did think it would be a big pain, but now, mmm, it's just a small thing."


      "You're boasting!" Yan Zheke said with happiness and excitement as she laughed.


      How could it be possible that Cheng would have made the mistake of neither knowing himself nor his enemy!?


      "Yes, yes, I'm boasting. Coach Yan knows me so well..." Lou Cheng's face blushed as he calmly admitted, "The main thing was that their positioning wasn't very good. The situation also wasn't very complicated. I'll give you all the details later."


      "Okay." Yan Zheke's voice lightly emitted.


      Lou Cheng thought for a moment, then laughed and said,


      "I have a goal that I want to achieve within four months. I want to make this current trouble truly become a small thing."


      "I'll give you a reminder!" Yan Zheke responded with a smile on her face. She was silent for a few seconds, and then said softly, "Cheng, hus...husband, if there's something like this again in the future, remember to ask yourself clearly if you want to go or not."


      "Yes!" Lou Cheng's heart ached with tenderness as he solemnly swore.


      However, things were always changing and developing. It was hard to say if he asked himself clearly from the very beginning that there would be no problems. He would most likely still have to depend on going in person to make a judgment and see whether he should back out or not.


      After hanging up the phone, Lou Cheng lifted up Si Jianting with one hand and dragged Vincent and Huang Chengda with the other. In the Linfu Building, a group of people stood with fear and panic in their eyes as he calmly and quietly stepped into the special elevator, arriving at the 19th floor.


      According to Si Jianting's confession, he had Zhang Xiaozi open the secret room. They saw a young man covered in bruises and cuts curled up on the ground, unconscious.


      "Zhenhua!" Zhang Xiaozi threw herself to the ground.


      Lou Cheng again tied Si Jianting, Vincent, and Huang Chengda together and threw them to the side of the sofa used for receiving customers. He then proceeded to step into the secret room, inspecting Li Zhenhua's injuries.


      "There's nothing life-threatening," he determined, and instructed Zhang Xiaozi, "Give the police department a call. Make them bring an ambulance with them."


      "Okay, Senior." Zhang Xiaozi sighed with relief, her heart settling as she began to dial the number.


      Lou Cheng then gave his master a report, allowing the sect to deal with the follow-up.


      4:37.


      The sounds of police cars and ambulance sirens arose simultaneously.


      4:40.


      Outside of Si Jianting's office, the sound of footsteps rang out, and a group of police officers charged in. They saw a young man sitting on the sofa in a navy blue martial arts suit, his head down as he played with his phone with a calm demeanor and casual posture.


      Next to his feet, Vincent, Huang Chengda, and Si Jianting all lied chaotically superimposed amongst each other, every one of them unconscious. That famous Linbian bigshot's body was even still shaking slightly, and there was the faint smell of urine coming from him.


      At the other end, Zhang Xiaozi stood quietly, wearing short sleeves, shorts, and running shoes, as if she was some kind of maiden. From time to time, her expression would float towards the other person on the sofa, Li Zhenhua.


      Lou Cheng lifted his head and with a smile looked at the head police officer. Calmly and unhurriedly, he asked a question.


      "Can we go now?


      "..." The head police officer was silent. He looked at the unconscious Li Zhenhua, nodded his head seriously, and said, "Yes."


      "Good." Lou Cheng slowly got up and, under the gazes of both the police officers and Zhang Xiaozi, slowly and steadily headed outside.


      In the quietness of the office afterward, everyone could hear his voice in the elevator talking on the phone.


      "Hi, Mom, I may be a half hour late back home for dinner."


      A half hour late back home for dinner.... The police officers and Zhang Xiaozi looked at each other in disbelief.


      ...


      After exiting the Linfu Building, Lou Cheng hailed a taxi and sat in the back seat.


      "Go to the Four Joys Shop," he calmly instructed, showing on his cellphone the results on the main page for "Linbian specialties", having switched modes on the app that he'd used to book tickets on.


      The driver started to drive, and gossiped,


      "Hey, wasn't there just a gunfight over here in Linfu? I heard it was pretty intense?"


      Lou Cheng smiled and replied,


      "I didn't watch, so I have no idea about it."


      "Fine, it'll most likely be on the news later," the driver said, not adding anything further.


      ...


      4:52.


      At the Four Joys Shop, Lou Cheng earnestly selected two boxes of fragrant pies and two jars of matsutake sauce. He then went next door and bought a few mangosteens and other local fruits.


      ...


      5:19.


      He arrived at the high speed rail station, and again got a call from Geezer Shi.


      "You did alright handling this today," Shi Jianguo complimented, and in the end stated, "Remember, you can't always necessarily proceed according to what your expectations are. Today was to teach you to hone your ability to respond to unexpected changes. As these and other aspects improve, when you run into any unexpected changes afterward, you won't get flustered, and you won't fall into danger."


      "True!" Lou Cheng suddenly realized, feeling that he'd misunderstood his master, and he'd been unreasonable in silently judging him.


      As he hung up the phone, he suddenly had doubts, and whispered,


      "Could it be that that speech just now was merely Master concealing the fact that he'd been unreliable, and he was just making an excuse after the fact for his defrauding me?


      "This, this seems like his style..."


      ...


      5:35.


      The high-speed train set off. Lou Cheng leaned back in his chair comfortably, playing on his phone.


      ...


      At 7:25 in the Linbian hospital, Li Zhenhua regained consciousness.


      After seeing Zhang Xiaozi next to him, he anxiously asked,


      "Have they caught Si Jianting?"


      "They've caught him. A young senior from your teacher's school came and handled it," Zhang Xiaozi answered honestly.


      Li Zhenhua immediately let out a sigh of relief, and his expression was absent-minded for a moment.


      After a few seconds, he recuperated, and then whispered the two words, "Young senior...


      "And where's Senior?" he asked.


      "Gone, he left in the afternoon," Zhang Xiaozi explained in detail.


      "Mmm... when did Senior come?" Li Zhenhua asked without thinking.


      Zhang Xiaozi's tone suddenly became quite strange.


      "Also in the afternoon..."


      ...


      7:29, the path of Back Water Lake, at the entrance of the neighborhood villa.


      Wearing short sleeves and a long skirt, Yan Zheke skipped over. She turned her head to look at Lou Cheng, and both happily and suspiciously asked,


      "Have you not gone back to eat yet? What are you up to coming and looking for me first?"


      Lou Cheng lifted up the fragrant pies, matsutake sauce, and southern fruits that were in his hands, and with a mischevious smile said,


      "To give you some Linbian specialties."




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     441 Who Cares about You
      In a lengthy, white skirt, Yan Zheke stood in the night breeze, refined and elegant.


      She was first stunned by Lou Cheng's words, but the astonishment was soon replaced by a smile, her eyes curved, chin raised a little, hair flying, and dimples deep.


      "You think that's enough to please me?"


      Her hands reached out to that bag of Linbian special products and she began browsing curiously.


      "I'm not trying to please my lovely wife." Lou Cheng chuckled and continued to express his feelings, "Wherever I go, the first thing that comes to my mind is what is fun, pretty, or delicious that I can share with my Ke. As soon as I was done today, this idea popped out, but I didn't have time to shop around. I searched online and bought these..."


      Listening to her ex-boyfriend and current husband, Yan Zheke's eyes became watery and the corners of her mouth curved upward. She felt a little bit shy and lowered her head subconsciously, looking at the osmanthus pie, matsutake jam, and local special fruits.


      From the corner of her eye, she saw another bag in Lou Cheng's left hand. Smart as she was, she easily changed the topic.


      "This is for your parents?"


      "Yeah.... My mom was complaining about me going to Linbian without a word over the phone. Yesterday, I told her I really missed her cooking, but today I couldn't go home in time for dinner," answered Lou Cheng with a smile.


      He had bought two of everything.


      "You told your mom you were going to Linbian?" asked Yan Zheke, surprised.


      "A quick mention. I told her my master sent me to take care of a minor matter and promised to come back quickly." Lou Cheng paused to find the right words. "That was what I thought. Linbian isn't the safest place compared to Songcheng and Huahai, but nothing serious happens there most of the time."


      He didn't have time to explain everything on the phone. Now he found it necessary to tell her everything as they were married and were responsible for each other's futures. His life was no longer just his.


      "You don't have to tell me this. I'm not blaming you." Yan Zheke bit her bottom lip gently, her voice caring and loving. "You have officially become a disciple of your master and a member of a faction, so of course you'll have to deal with all sorts of tasks. Many relatives of mine are from the Shushan Study. Such things take place often. Usually, tasks from the faction are simple and safe. If a task can't be done by a disciple at the body refining stage, it will be given to a Dan stage member. If it still can't be completed, a capable disciple at the Inhuman stage will be assigned. If he fails, a Mighty One with Physical Invulnerability will be put on the task. In case it is not safe for a Mighty One with Physical Invulnerability, they probably won't insist on doing this mission.



      "When you told me you were heading to Linbian for a minor faction matter, I was concerned about the bad reputation about public security in the city. That's why I told you to not pull back in case of an emergency. I didn't want you to wreck in a ditch. I do worry about you, but I'm fine with it.


      "Then the minor matter became more serious, which was beyond your control. You told me immediately and acted with caution and confidence..."


      Yan Zheke suddenly paused, her lips pouting and nose twitching, and began to sob,


      "Ahh... I can't continue!"


      Her eyes turned red. "I understand all this, but I can't help feeling bad when things happen. I was very, very worried. When your second call rang, I was so afraid it might be from someone else, calling to inform me of something bad... I was so scared..."


      She stopped her whining and locked her eyes on Lou Cheng with some attitude, her teeth grinding.


      "Cheng, let me bite you!"


      Lou Cheng was very touched by her sudden, true sentiment revelation. Thinking about her concerns, his heart ached for her. He responded in his softest voice,


      "Okay."


      Yan Zheke took one step forward and buried her head in Lou Cheng's shoulder, her lips open and teeth showing above Lou Cheng's collarbone.


      Lou Cheng relaxed his muscles and stopped his instinctive responses, preparing for a hard bite.


      However, no pain came to him but a gentle nibble on his skin, which soon turned into a warm kiss.


      "I can't bite you..." said Yan Zheke without raising her head.


      Lou Cheng's heart missed a beat and the bag fell out of his hand. He lifted the girl with both hands, caressing his wife's back and hair. He then lowered his head and kissed her head.


      Yan Zheke kept her head in Lou Cheng's shoulder and opened her mouth,


      "I know even the simplest task could go wrong and lead to danger. I can't lock you at home or chain you up. I can't forbid you from everything... I hope you can be more careful in the future and make your decision after figuring out all the details. Don't take risks. Act only when you are absolutely confident. Tell me more if time allows so I can be more comfortable... Don't try to be tough in front of difficulties. Leave when you need to and seek aid from the sect when necessary."


      "I promise." Lou Cheng nodded solemnly.


      Yan Zheke remained silent for a few seconds and then heaved a sigh.


      "If my health was better, I could reach the Dan stage and do these things with you. We could be like my grandparents. I really envy them..."


      "Every couple has a different story, and we can't force ourselves into others' shoes." Lou Cheng thought about it and tried to comfort his wife. "If you did accompany me on such missions, I would be unable to remain calm and would be worried about you all the time. I wouldn't perform as well."


      The darkness fell slowly and the moon rose. The pair hugged and talked, sharing their deep feelings.


      Seven or eight minutes later, Yan Zheke resumed her normal mood and pushed Lou Cheng away. Happiness filled up her eyes.


      "Go back and eat. I can hear your tummy roaring!"


      "Yeah. Let me walk you back first." Lou Cheng flushed.


      "No need. It's just a few steps away." Yan Zheke bounced backward, her skirt flying up.


      She stopped after two steps and turned around to look at Lou Cheng with a smile hiding behind her hand.


      "Cheng, for a second, I thought you would try to take me out on a date before sending me home."


      "For a second, I did think about it, but someone didn't bite me earlier. I must take good care of her." Lou Cheng chuckled. "However, Empress Dowager and your dear father are waiting for you. Picking up a gift can't take three hours. How would they think of me?"


      "That's right. If you told your mom you would be a few more hours late and would rather have something outside, she would slap your face." Yan Zheke poked fun at him.


      Lou Cheng shook his head and laughed. "I remember someone saying she didn't like that every date led towards that direction. Spiritual connection is just as important. Taking a stroll, chatting, watching TV shows and programs, and doing homework are also nice. I felt you weren't very happy in Songcheng, but you gave in at last."


      "It's not that I'm not happy or not into it... Phew! I don't like it at all!" Yan Zheke threw a glare at Lou Cheng, shy but splendid. "As you said, girls care about other things besides sexual things. I thought we were just married and you were very thirsty... I guess that was why I agreed to do it."


      "Also, we will part very soon. And we have left it to God."


      "Even now I'm tempted."


      "Maybe every girl has this irrational side..."


      They waved at each other after some more talking. Lou Cheng watched her elegantly walking into the estate and then returned home with the gift.


      "Finally! Your father and I ate already. I'll heat it up for you." Qi Fang stood up from the couch. She hadn't even thought about waiting for her son to eat together.


      "My real mother..." Lou Cheng handed over the bag and put on a bright smile.


      "Mom, Dad, I got you something from Linbian."


      "My son, you went for business but managed to buy us something?" Qi Fang's smile was brilliant.


      Lou Zhisheng asked in a reserved manner, "Why did your sect send you to Linbian today? It didn't take you long."


      "A minor matter. They needed someone to show up. Just for a few minutes," answered Lou Cheng vaguely.


      As Qi Fang took over the bag, she casually commented, "Linbian is not a safe place. Why did your master send you there?"


      "Not bad. Our government is very strict. Linbian's public security is not the best, but how bad can it be? It's actually pretty safe as long as I don't go to crowded places or dark allies and don't make trouble. Otherwise, how do residents there live?" responded Lou Cheng with a sneer.


      "Hmm..." Qi Fang didn't say more. Dishes were reheated and served. Lou Cheng devoured it all before his parents' eyes.


      "When you went to Linbian, your dad was worried. He was watching their local TV station earlier." Qi Fang made fun of Lou Zhisheng.


      "It was by chance." Lou Zhisheng coughed it off.


      Lou Cheng's heart was warm and his appetite just got better.


      The family sat together happily. The news came along but disappeared in their chats and laughter.


      "Linbian TV news. This afternoon, a serious gun-related crime took place in the Linfu Building at the Jiuxing junction..."


      "... The case has been solved and the main suspects Si Jianting and Huang Chengda have been arrested..."


      …


      Lou Cheng returned to his room after dinner and turned on his computer, looking for videos from this afternoon.


      Fortunately, he was very efficient to get it done in under two minutes. Most people on site didn't have the chance to respond. It was a horrifying scene that not many dared to approach, so only a few blurry photos were uploaded.


      "Hmm... Even my mom can't tell it is me..." Lou Cheng laughed and felt relieved.


      With pressure from the sect, this news couldn't grow into something bigger.


      Right before he closed the page, a QQ message came in from Wonton Seller.


      "Tiger, did you check the group message? We are meeting up in Huacheng on the 15th. Are you coming?"


      Huacheng, where the Longhu Club was located.


      "Err... I don't think so," replied Lou Cheng after some thinking.


      "I used to be very interested in meeting them one year ago. But in the past one year, I rarely said anything on the forum and didn't talk much with anyone. It would be awkward to meet a group of strangers."




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     442 Visiting the Parents-in-law
      "Hmm? Aren't you on holiday?" asked Wonton Seller out of surprise.


      Lou Cheng put on a silly smile. "I'm quite busy with meeting my girlfriend's parents.


      "Ke will go abroad soon, so of course she's my top priority."


      "Phew! Tiger, you are not even in your third year, are you? Meeting the parents-in-law so early? Are you becoming a father in university?" Her passion for gossip was ignited.


      "You are thinking too much!" Lou Cheng took a sigh with his hands covering his face. "We are adults and our relationship is no longer a secret. Why not?"


      "Ohh…" Wonton Seller sounded disappointed and changed to a serious tone. "Tiger, you are putting your lady ahead of all your friends! Ever since you got in a relationship, you've rarely come to the forum or chatted in the group…. Didn't you say you joined the martial arts club? Did you quit? (Chuckle)"


      "Not at all. I joined the club to pursue my girlfriend. How could I ever quit?" Lou Cheng sneered.


      "Hmm… Your girlfriend sounds pretty awesome. Is she a master? Which amateur pin is she at?" asked Wonton Seller with a shocked expression.


      Lou Cheng told the truth. "Professional Ninth Pin, but she hasn't attended the ranking event."


      "Professional Ninth Pin…" Wonton Seller widened her eyes and poked fun at him, "Tiger, you are at a high risk of domestic violence. I feel sorry for you."


      …Lou Cheng laughed out loud and lifted his palms up. "Domestic violence is a sign of love. I'm not afraid."


      "Hmm… You are no longer the innocent, shy Tiger. Are you sure you can't make it to the meeting?" Wonton Seller made another attempt to persuade him. "Don't you want to see us? Aren't you curious how we have grown in the past two years? Little Punch has got the Professional Ninth Pin certificate last year and is working hard to reach the Dan stage. Little Ring has become a successful businessman thanks to some financial support from his family. Little Ma, Little Dragon, and Little Pig Rider are all coming…"


      After throwing a dozen names out, she revealed an important piece of news. "Don't you want to watch the Dragon King fight on site? Little Pig Rider has got us tickets."


      Fan club managers were usually close to the particular club they supported and had a good chance of getting some guest tickets.



      "You mean the match between Longhu and Shangqing on the 16th?" Lou Cheng's heart was stirred.


      This exciting match had been arranged on a weekday to make room for a title fight.


      "That's right! Interested? Wanna come?" asked Wonton Seller, jumping up and down in high spirits.


      Lou Cheng thought about it and still felt awkward about the meeting. He firmly refused, "Never mind. I really don't have time."


      "Fine, maybe next time." Wonton Seller sighed, disappointed. "You and Little Brahma are so different. I can't get you to come and I can't stop her from coming anyhow. A 14-year-old girl in grade eight comes all the way to Huacheng to meet her online friends. How can we take responsibility?"


      "I don't think her parents will let her." Lou Cheng knew Brahma's temper. "Keep talking to her and ask her to wait until university."


      "Every day (Hilarious)." Wonton Seller added an emoji smiling with tears. "I'm on the edge of contacting her parents…"


      Lou Cheng expressed his assent and changed the topic. "Little Wonton, what major will you take?"


      She did pretty well in the college entrance exams.


      "I don't know… My English is good… I might pursue something related to this…" answered Wonton Seller, uncertain. She then waved goodbye at Lou Cheng. "I'm going to talk with them about our meeting. Please come next time!"


      "Sure. Bye," replied Lou Cheng, apathetic.


      Yan Zheke finished washing and brushing and replied to his message. He shared it with his wife casually.


      "Longhu versus Shangqing… The Dragon King versus the Martial Arts Lord…" Yan Zheke stroked her chin as her eyes rolled. "I really want to watch... We haven't watched any professional matches on site together yet… Cheng, I invite you to a date! Let's go and watch this match! No meeting internet pals in reality. We go on our own!


      "I'll have fun before I leave!"


      "Sure!" answered Lou Cheng, very excited with a cheeky smile. "Honeymoon?"


      "If you want." Yan Zheke looked up into the sky with her hands on her waist. "I'll work on the tickets and you take care of the itinerary."


      "Deal!" Lou Cheng quickly booked flight tickets and accommodation and browsed travel tips about Huacheng.


      "Heheh! I'm going there anyway, but for a different purpose."


      Yan Zheke suddenly sent a crying emoji. "What shall I do? I'm so nervous about meeting your parents tomorrow!"


      "Our parents," Lou Cheng corrected her.


      "Even more nervous now!" Yan Zheke had tears in her eyes.


      "Hahah. What are you nervous about? Whatever they ask, you answer. If you can't answer, you turn to me. If there's nothing to talk about, I'll give you a tour of my room to save you from any awkwardness." Lou Cheng understood her feeling completely as he was once there.


      "Should I help set up the table before lunch and clean up after?"


      "No. It's your first time over. You are our guest!"


      "Really?"


      "Just make yourself at home. You do whatever you would do at home."


      The young couple chatted around this topic for a good while. In the end, Yan Zheke decided to follow Lou Cheng's advice and just be herself.


      …


      The next morning, Lou Cheng got up for his morning exercises and then took a taxi to the Yan house after breakfast.


      Yan Zheke walked out in a T-shirt, a blouse, a long skirt, and a pair of white shoes a few minutes later. Her hair was tied up into a half ball to show her elegance and sweetness.


      In her hands was a perfect amount of bags.


      "What are these?" asked Lou Cheng out of curiosity as he took over the bags with one hand and grabbed her hand with the other.


      "Tea, health products, and fruits. My mom said girls must be restrained on the first visit, so we didn't prepare much. I don't know anything about it. I trust her." Yan Zheke pursed her lips and made fun of herself. "Cheng, look at my face. This is a smile of giving up on myself…"


      "Hahah… Don't be dramatic. I'm here." Lou Cheng tried to comfort her.


      They took a taxi to Lou Cheng's house, and the neighbors gazed at them as they walked in.


      "They are coming!" Qi Fang, holding her phone, yelled towards the balcony on the fifth floor of building eight.


      Lou Zhisheng, who had taken the day off, today walked back to the living room and coughed. "Just one cigarette.


      "I didn't watch them…"


      Qi Fang threw him a glare and reprimanded, "Didn't you say it was no big deal? Why did you smoke, then?"


      Lou Zhisheng sighed with a smile. "I thought I would have four or even five more years to prepare for this… So fast…"


      "Yeah, it's like a dream. Feels like Cheng is suddenly ten years older," said Qi Fang with a tinge of emotion. Her face suddenly turned. "Hurry! Sit down! They are coming up!"


      The door opened in less than one minute and Lou Cheng walked in with Yan Zheke. He bent over to take out a newly purchased pair of slippers for her.


      Qi Fang and Lou Zhisheng approached, and Yan Zheke greeted before Lou Cheng's introduction,"Nice to meet you, Uncle and Aunt."


      "Nice to meet you." Lou Zhisheng and Qi Fang looked at their future daughter-in-law, full of joy.


      Lou Cheng handed over the bags. "Mom, Dad, it's from Ke."


      "Ahh… You shouldn't have." Qi Fang accepted with a laugh and took a quick glance at the bag.


      "Come and take a seat." Lou Zhisheng pointed at the couch in the living room.


      Yan Zheke nodded, a bit shy. Lou Cheng pulled her over and the four of them sat down together. Lou Zhisheng picked a topic casually. "Zheke, what's your major?"


      "Economy." Yan Zheke gave a quick, direct answer.


      Qi Fang smiled. "You two were in the same high school and now in the same university. This is destiny. Did you meet each other in the martial arts club?"


      "I knew Lou Cheng by name in high school but didn't really know him." Yan Zheke glanced at Lou Cheng in secret.


      "Hahah… Who could have guessed today?" Qi Fang found it very magical.


      The conversation continued harmoniously. Lou Cheng kept the atmosphere relaxed and active and helped answer some questions, waiting for the topics to run out so he could take his wife to do something else.


      Abruptly, there came a knock on the door.


      "Who is it?" asked Lou Cheng as he turned and stepped over to open the door. It was his younger cousin, Ma Xi.


      Ma Xi raised her brows and popped her head in. She smiled at Lou Zhisheng and Qi Fang. "Uncle, Aunt, my mom loved the chili sauce very much and sent me here to fetch some more."


      "Ahh… Why didn't you call?" Qi Fang complained as she walked into the kitchen.


      Ma Xi entered the flat and sneakily glanced at Yan Zheke before greeting her sweetly, "Hello, Sister-in-law!"


      "Hello." Yan Zheke flushed.


      Lou Cheng hurried to introduce her. "This is my cousin, Ma Xi, my aunt's daughter. More naughty than ever."


      "Who said that?" complained Ma Xi.


      She soon left with a bottle of chili sauce. Then another knock came less than ten minutes later.


      "Who is it?" Lou Cheng had no choice but to get up to open the door.


      "Aunt!" As the door was pushed over, he saw Lou Yuanwei's mother, Wang Lili, in disbelief.


      Wang Lili raised the bottle in her hand. "Brother, Qi Fang, we got some wild meat a while ago, remember? Zhiqiang made this bone wine. I brought a bottle to you."


      "I was just talking about it." Lou Cheng rose and smiled.


      Wang Lili stepped in and looked at Yan Zheke up and down with a smile.


      Yan Zheke quickly greeted, "Nice to meet you, Aunt!"


      "Hello," responded Wang Lili with her eyes narrowed.


      Lou Cheng suddenly realized that they had come for his wife!


      As soon as Wang Lili left, they resumed the conversation until Qi Fang got up to cook.


      Another knock came.


      Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke shared a look, annoyed and amused. They went to the door together to open it.


      It was Lou Yuanwei.


      He read unfriendliness on Lou Cheng's face and put on a bitter smile. "I'm just passing by… My stomach hurts. May I use your bathroom?"




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     443 Buying the Nine Words Formula Online?
      The sky became dim and the summer night fell late. A gentle breeze blew from the Back Water Lake, scattering the heaviness and dampness.


      "Sigh… My relatives… They just showed up to see you without informing us in advance," said Lou Cheng with a tinge of emotion, his hand holding Yan Zheke's. The worst was Lou Yuanwei, whose excuse sucked. At least he didn't stay for lunch in spite of Lou Cheng's mother's warm invitation.


      However, these uninvited guests shortened the distance between Yan Zheke and Lou Cheng's parents. When there were only the four of them, she felt very relaxed and expressed her love for several dishes, which really pleased his mother.


      After the feast, Lou Cheng led Yan Zheke to his bedroom and showed her his classmates' messages, posters of the capable, and old detective novels. The afternoon went by fast and pleasantly. They didn't make out at all as the parents knocked often to bring in fruits and snacks.


      Lou Zhisheng brought his parents over for dinner. With no granddaughter-in-law in the family, the old couple loved Yan Zheke inside out.


      As they strolled on, Yan Zheke's brows unknotted and the primness faded away from her face. She said in a clear, gentle voice,


      "It's okay. I understand. If my cousin brought a girlfriend back home, I would immediately book a flight just to take a look at her."


      She had two red envelopes in her hand, of which one was heavy and the other comparably thin, respectively from Qi Fang and Lou Debang.


      "Your cousin brought a girlfriend home…" Lou Cheng chuckled. "It sounds like a fantasy."


      It seemed impossible to imagine him dating a girl.


      "I agree…" Yan Zheke didn't stand up to defend her cousin Lin Qui. Instead, she nodded seriously.


      Lou Cheng glanced at Yan Zheke's pink purse and the red envelopes and asked, "Why not put it in and free your hand?"


      "I love to hold it in my hand. Problem?" answered Yan Zheke in a light and quick manner as she waved the hand with her envelopes proudly.


      "No problem at all! As long as you are happy." A matter suddenly came to Lou Cheng's mind. "Ke, when do we go to your grandparents'?"


      "Hmm… Maybe we don't go…" Yan Zheke tilted her head and looked at him solemnly.



      "Why?" Lou Cheng was confused."Why not?" asked Lou Cheng, confused.


      Yan Zheke burst into a laugh, showing her deep dimples. "Because my grandparents miss me so much that they decided to stay in Xiushan for a while."


      She pursed her lips and looked up. "Some other relatives might come with them. When they are gone, I'll take you home to visit my grandparents so you won't feel awkward in front of so many of them."


      "Perfect!" Lou Cheng nodded to show his consent.


      As they arrived at the entrance to the villas, Yan Zheke waved.


      "Cheng, I'm going in."


      "Give my regard to your parents." Lou Cheng responded with a smile.


      Yan Zheke abruptly turned around after two steps, her eyes smiling shyly.


      "Your parents are nice… Feels like family."


      She waved her envelopes again before passing the security agilely.


      "We are family. Silly Ke…" Lou Cheng, with a silly grin, watched her walking away.


      …


      In Lou Cheng's living room, Qi Fang was wiping the tea table, while Lou Cheng was wholly absorbed in the news. She commented,


      "Zheke seems very delicate and cultured, with a great upbringing."


      "Yeah, not too noisy. Pretty good." Lou Zhisheng sipped on his tea and nodded.


      The sound of a key turning came and Lou Cheng stepped in.


      "That was fast," Qi Fang blurted.


      "Not really. I walked her home and came back," answered Lou Cheng, puzzled.


      "Why can't you be smarter and more considerate? Why not take her to shop or go for a walk together before dropping her home? Boys must make moves." Qi Fang spent loads of her time watching TV dramas and felt very concerned about her son's lack of romance. She wished he could have done better.


      We did take a stroll by the lake… I'd love to go on a date with her and spend two or even three more hours together before dropping her back, but her mother has been waiting… Lou Cheng thought to himself and quickly changed the subject. "Ke thinks you two are really good."


      "Ahh… We could have received her better…" Qi Fang said humbly with a bright smile.


      Lou Zhisheng raised his teacup again and took a sip with a secret smile.


      Lou Cheng said, "Dad, Mom, my master asked me to learn more about other countries' martial arts styles, so I think I'll go to the States quite often and stay there for some time every time. Let me teach you how to make a video call…"


      "Okay." Qi Fang was in shock and very concerned. "What about Zheke? It's not good to be apart all the time."


      Lou Cheng smiled genuinely, "Mom, don't worry. Her dad got her into a program and she can study in the States."


      "That's great!" Qi Fang sounded relieved. "You will come back for holiday, right?"


      "Of course!" Lou Cheng smiled brightly as he took over his parents' phones to begin the teaching session.


      Lou Zhisheng and Qi Fang finally grasped how to make a video calls by 8:30. Lou Cheng went back to his room and turned on his computer as he had been doing in the past several months.


      While waiting for the computer to turn on, he replied to Yan Zheke's message on his phone and browsed new messages in a few groups.


      In their family group, Ma Xi posted an emoji of drinking hot water.


      "Sister-in-law is so pretty! Even more beautiful in person than on TV!"


      Lou Yuanwei simply replied with a thumbs up.


      Reading these messages from a few hours ago, Lou Cheng didn't type any word but replied with a "passing by" sticker.


      Once his computer was ready, he opened the browser and began to wander between several Taoist training forums and online shopping sites.


      Since his Nine Words Formula rose to fame, related items became a hit online. Many sellers began to advertise ancient nine characters graphs, golden rock nine seals, broken secret discipline, and family heirloom Nine Words Sound illustrations to take advantage of the trend. Even the Shangqing Sect and the Daxing Temple couldn't guarantee their disciples would master it by studying the visualization graphs.


      "What? You bought my family heirloom but couldn't master the secret style? Well, my friend, I don't think you are talented enough. Let me introduce you to something simpler and more suitable for less gifted people like you. Still no? Take a look into the mirror. You better quit."


      Since amateur martial artists couldn't tell the real from the fakes, many of them became very optimistic and confident about finding the right secret book, becoming the next Lou Cheng, and rising to the peak of life.


      Lou Cheng was one of them, hoping to find something helpful by relying on his practice of the Nine Words Formula.


      For him, the Inhuman stage was no longer so far away after his recent breakthrough, but nobody knew how long it would take for him to pass the final gap.


      He had set a goal of four months, but he couldn't be sure about it. He continued to train hard and wanted to discover some activators to help him achieve his goal in four months. The most promising primer would certainly be the rest of the Nine Words Formula!


      It would help him grow, help his master recover, and help Ke overcome her natural deficiency. It had become the biggest target of his next term.


      Lou Cheng had discovered several items that were hard to tell if they were real or fake. However, he didn't waste his time to seek confirmation but threw all possibilities to Geezer Shi, who would in turn pass them on to the other experienced masters, like Divine Enchanter of Sin Flame.


      "If you try to fool me, the military will pull your underpants down!" thought Lou Cheng.


      None of them were real so far.


      Of course, Lou Cheng kept some clues to himself. A few items actually had the same feeling and taste of what he had learned. He was willing to pay a few hundred to take a chance. However, these items were either too broken or wrong, so he hadn't achieved any new formulas yet.


      "Cheng, did I eat too much at lunch and dinner today?" Yan Zheke resumed her usual coolness after a hot shower and began to worry about it.


      Lou Cheng chuckled and touched his chin with his hand. "Not at all compared to me."


      He glanced at the screen from the corner of his eye and was stunned.


      It was a silk cloth with a Dou character in the middle of the screen, giving out a feeling of a heavenly battle.


      "Hmm…" Lou Cheng straightened his body and opened the window to chat with the seller.


      "Where did you get this?" asked Lou Cheng bluntly.


      The seller named Never Miss A Treasure responded passionately, "Dear, it has been passed down in my family. Are you interested? I'm very short of money lately. Give me 999 and it's all yours. It's the same as Lou Cheng's. Dear, the Fighting Formula. Dear!"


      "You are not a good liar, you know? At least make the cloth older, please. You just bought it not long ago, right?" Lou Cheng burst into a laugh.


      "Dear… I'm just trying to make a living… You don't have to be so mean…" Never Miss A Treasure turned cold all of a sudden.


      "Tell me. Where did you get it printed? Were you fooled by someone?" Lou Cheng kept his tone casual, but his face was very serious.




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     444 Wine Po
      Never Miss A Treasure was hit right in the spot and replied with some anger,


      "Damn it! The guy told me that the Fighting character inscribed from the wine pot would be good enough to be taken as genuine. I've been selling it for a month, and ten people have seen through it! Ten people! I must be blind..."


      Lou Cheng laughed out loud. "What wine pot? Show me."


      In less than a minute, Never Miss A Treasure sent Lou Cheng a photo of an ancient rose gold wine pot of the size of a palm with an explosive, defiant Fighting character on one side as if one sip of the wine was enough for the drinker to rise up high to create a tremendous uproar in the heavenly palace.


      "Quite imposing and very delicate..." praised Lou Cheng before switching to a very flat tone. "I like this wine pot. Quite special. Is it for sale?"


      "You want it? How can I make more of this Fighting character cloth if I sell it? Are you trying to destroy my business?" scorned Never Miss A Treasure.


      "It has been several months since the national tournament. The Nine Words Sound is no longer a hit. Aren't your sales going down? Sell it to make some money when you still can. I don't believe you have no stock of the handkerchief!" Lou Cheng presented a plausible argument.


      "It makes sense..." said Never Miss A Treasure after a moment of silence. "Give me 1,200 and the pot will be yours."


      "1,200? You must be kidding me! 100 is my final offer!" Lou Cheng bargained hard as Coach Yan had instructed.


      "This is a humiliating bargain! I paid more than 100 to get it. My friend, what about 380, including the delivery cost?" Never Miss A Treasure tried to sound like he was offering a deal at a loss.


      Lou Cheng thought about it and replied with some hesitation, "I guess so. Put it up and I'll bid."


      "Let's do it in some other way. If I put the pot up, everybody will know my product was not real," suggested Never Miss A Treasure with his two palms facing up.


      "Whatever." Lou Cheng sounded interested but not keen.


      The deal was made and Lou Cheng used the name Qi Fang with their home address, considering he was more or less famous now.


      After, he sent the photo of the wine pot to Yan Zheke and sneered.



      "Check this out?"


      "Hmm... The Fighting Formula... It feels real!" Yan Zheke was stunned.


      She had seen many notes about the Nine Words Formula recreated by the Shushan Study. Lou Cheng was certain the Fighting Formula part was not correct but quite close.


      "Yeah, I felt the same as soon as I saw it," answered Lou Cheng proudly.


      "Incredible! That's my Cheng. You got it?" Yan Zheke was very generous with her compliments.


      "Of course." Lou Cheng put on a cunning smile. "Even though I couldn't figure anything out, there must be some clues. Look how fine and delicate this pot is! My master will love it for sure. It could be a good present for him."


      "Hmm... How rare for you to be so thoughtful about Coach Shi!" Yan Zheke opened her eyes wide.


      Lou Cheng was transfixed. "What do you mean rare? I'm always very respectful."


      "Hmm... How come I only remember the times you were being sarcastic with him?" Yan Zheke looked up and rolled her eyes.


      "My tongue might be mean, but he's always on my mind," said Lou Cheng solemnly.


      "Really?" Yan Zheke sat gracefully. "How much did you pay for the pot?"


      "380..." Lou Cheng sighed, his hands covering his face.


      …


      In a rental home in some city.


      Never Miss A Treasure stretched and hummed, very pleased with himself. On the computer desk in front of him stood the imposing rose pink wine pot.


      He stood up and pulled a black cloth from a chest, revealing over a dozen of the same wine pots, none of which had the same overwhelming bearing.


      He paid a factory to make these artificial ones at a very low price.


      "Hahah... Fancy my wine pot? My trap is set for you!" Never Miss A Treasure sneered, wagging his head.


      The Fighting character handkerchief would be enough to lure those with little knowledge or bad taste. If someone saw flaws in the cloth, he would play innocent and let them take the pot at a good price.


      Most people wouldn't expect one trap after another. They would very likely be quite pleased with themselves for getting the pot.


      Besides, these people were usually arrogant. Losing a few hundred bucks was not worth the hassle to make it a big deal. In the worst scenario, they would throw some bad words at him and he would stand still and stick to his story firmly.


      Never Miss A Treasure wasn't very concerned about the treasure. When he first got the pot, he honestly believed there must be some connection between it and the Fighting Formula. He attempted to apple polish a Dan stage martial artist with the pot, but the master didn't sense the feeling and couldn't visualize with it. He found it pretty but nothing more.


      Those fools should be able to figure things out after if they spent some more time on it.


      Who would travel across the country for a few hundred bucks?


      "However sneaky or smark you are, you can't jump out of my palm..." Never Miss A Treasure took one rose gold wine pot out of the batch with a chuckle, packed it up, and began to fill in the delivery form.


      "Xiushan..."


      …


      Two days later, Lou Cheng received a phone call after his training in the Gushan Martial Arts School and his parcel had arrived.


      He went back with the package. As soon as he opened it, his eyebrows rose and his face seemed annoyed and amused.


      He logged into the site and spoke frankly to Never Miss A Treasure,


      "You sent me the wrong item."


      "No. Compare it with the photo. Aren't they identical?" The very experienced Never Miss A Treasure responded confidently.


      "It doesn't have the explosive, defiant bearing." Lou Cheng pointed out the key.


      Never Miss A Treasure was taken by surprise. "It is a photography effect. Don't you know PS? Don't you know photo retouching? Don't you know the Beauty Camera? Here. I have another photo, black and white. Isn't it calm and ancient? Anyway, file a complain if you want. I don't really care."


      "I'll call the police!" Lou Cheng replied without anger.


      Never Miss A Treasure felt relaxed upon seeing Lou Cheng's reply. " The bigger words they brag, the slimmer chance they take action. A villain always throws out some threat after a street fight."


      "Only a few hundred bucks. Cops won't take it seriously."


      "Hahah. Go ahead." Never Miss A Treasure took a sip of water from his mug.


      Lou Cheng copied the link and sent it to his QQ friend Rapid March.


      "This is a highly possible clue for the Fighting Formula."


      He frequently sent clues and traces to his master to pass on to the military. Much annoyed, Geezer Shi connected him with this guy.


      "Got it." Rapid March's answer was brief.


      …


      At 2 PM, Never Miss A Treasure woke up to an intense pounding on his door.


      He sat up and shouted, "Who is it?"


      "For the water meter," a guy responded outside.


      "Has it been one month already?" Never Miss A Treasure put on his shirt and shorts and opened the door, very confused.


      Clang!


      Two muscular men dashed in as soon as the door was opened, one of whom held his legs and the other grabbed his arms. Never Miss A Treasure was pressed tightly against the floor.


      "What are you doing?" Never Miss A Treasure screamed with fear. He saw several pitch-black handguns pointing at him and two China Police documents.


      "I... I'm selling fake products..." Never Miss A Treasure attempted to explain, completely stunned. Tears were circling in his eyes.


      …


      "That's the story." Lou Cheng sat on a chair, looking at Yan Zheke, who was sitting on the bed and checking the fake rose gold wine pot.


      "So... You were prepared to receive a fake?" She looked up thoughtfully. "Why didn't you contact the military earlier? You hoped to get it by yourself?"


      On a precious, cool, July day, she wore an elegant, round collar shirt.


      "Something like that..." Lou Cheng smiled vaguely.


      Yan Zheke put down the pot and threw a glare at him. "You dragged me over to view this fake pot? I was planning on taking you to shop some clothes. My grandparents like cultured gentlemen."


      "We have time. Your relatives are still there, aren't they?" Lou Cheng rose and smiled. "Besides, Ke, as you said before, it doesn't matter what we view as long as we are together."


      He stepped towards the door and locked it from inside.


      Yan Zheke blinked her clear, bright eyes, at a loss.


      Lou Cheng walked to the window and looked at the confused little fairy with a grin.


      "My mom is sending Qi Yunfei back to Ningshui and won't come back today. My dad has to work late, probably until seven or eight..."


      He closed the curtain and the room was suddenly dim and dusky, faint lights dancing with shadows.


      "... You are..."


      The clear, gentle voice screeched to a halt.


      …


      At 5 o'clock, in the dim room, a fair arm was resting on Lou Cheng's chest, in sharp contrast with her black, long hair. The room was filled with silent, invisible beauty and joy.


      After checking on the asleep Yan Zheke, Lou Cheng picked up his mobile and checked new messages.


      Rapid March wrote one hour ago,


      "The wine pot doesn't have the bearing of the Fighting Formula. We think it was made by an exceptional craftsman with no martial arts roots less than 30 years ago. We have reasons to believe he carved the pot in reference to the original artifact.


      "We will dig out the origin of this wine pot."




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     445 Another Round
      Yan Zheke woke up at 5:30 PM. She put on Lou Cheng's t-shirt and shorts to take a shower and came back to the room to change into her own clothes.


      She pointed at her wrinkled shirt and complained, "It's your fault! Get me an iron."


      "How can I go out like this? How can I go home like this?"


      "Our iron broke two days ago..." Lou Cheng looked up blankly and then a grin appeared on his face. "Don't worry. I got this."


      "Ahh?" Yan Zheke gazed at her official husband, confused.


      Lou Cheng reached out his right hand with a thin layer of white frost. As the ice melted, steam rose and heat rolled.


      He pulled the shirt with his left hand and moved his right palm down slowly. The crumpled part became flat.


      Yan Zheke's eyes shone brightly. She couldn't help complimenting him.


      "Cheng, your supernatural ability is becoming more and more practical. You've unlocked this new function."


      "Ever since I perceived the root pulp, my control of the ice and fire supernatural ability has become better," answered Lou Cheng humbly. "Thank you, Coach Yan!"


      Spending loads of time on Taoist training materials lately, he liked to summarize his attitude changing, emotion precipitating, and determination firming since he had become a married man as an achievement of their paired practice.


      Yan Zheke pursed her lips and turned her head away, her eyes narrowed. She suddenly turned back to gaze at Lou Cheng with a suspicious look.


      "I feel there is another meaning in your compliment... Hmm... You didn't care about the fake pot. You sneakily set up a trap for me."


      "Not at all. I didn't want to bother the military at the beginning, though they are also looking for the Nine Words Formula. When I received this fake pot, I found it amusing and wanted to share with you. Then I realized that we would have quite some free time and that we could do something..." Lou Cheng explained with a smile. "We haven't gotten intimate for days."


      "What if... What if I didn't feel like it today?" Yan Zheke fixed her hair as she threw a glare at him.


      Lou Cheng laughed with his both palms facing up. "We could browse some forums and Weibo together, talk, and go shopping around four or five. We have plenty things to do together."



      "Belated effort!" Yan Zheke raised her chin, the corners of her eyes curved upward.


      She stood up and walked to the door, glancing at Lou Cheng, amused and annoyed.


      "Why did you lock the door... As if you were a bad guy!"


      "Just in case... What if my mom didn't stay with my aunt tonight or my dad came back early and opened my door to check if I was home? That would be super awkward... When we are busy, my Absolute Reaction to our lovemaking... I can't pay much attention to anything else, like footsteps or the sound of the key..." answered Lou Cheng with a grin.


      "But it would be just as awkward if they found out your door was locked from inside..." Yan Zheke tilted her head, puzzled.


      "No. Look. We are in a relationship that has been approved by our parents. It is perfectly normal for us to lock the door and make out once in a while. It would be odd if we didn't get intimate at all. No one knows how far we have gone anyway." Lou Cheng reached out his hand to tidy up her hair.


      "You sound so experienced..." Yan Zheke rolled her eyes and checked Lou Cheng up and down.


      "Hahah... I read a lot online. It's important to learn from others' mistakes!" Lou Cheng chuckled.


      "Hmm... Ming's Awkward Moments!"


      …


      Two days later, the military still couldn't locate the wine pot's origin. Lou Cheng changed into a pair of gold-rimmed glasses and collocated clothes and went to Yan family's villa by Back Water Lake with bags of presents.


      It was so open and aboveboard compared to his first visit last summer.


      "If my grandparents ask you questions, give straight answers and don't circle about. They used to be teachers and don't like those showy, deceptive guys." Yan Zheke reminded Lou Cheng right before their arrival.


      Lou Cheng didn't feel much pressure from visiting the grandparents. He pointed at himself with a grin.


      "I got in Songcheng University by myself. Your grandparents will love me for sure.


      "I was always one of the top five in high school. I even made it to the top three several times. I was a really good student, one of the top 20, if not top 10, of the grade. I did very well in the university entry exams."


      "Yesterday's sun can't dry today's clothes." Yan Zheke hit him gently with a laugh as she pushed the door open.


      In the bright, spacious living room, Yan Kai on his day off was chatting with his parents, Yan Jihua and Gao Fen. When he heard the door-opening music, he rose to welcome his daughter and future son-in-law.


      Ji Mingyu was at a very important business meeting. She would be back around dinner time.


      "Lou, welcome." Yan Kai managed to calmly and warmly greet the bad boy who had stolen his smart, beautiful, and perfect daughter.


      "Hello, Uncle." Lou Cheng changed into slippers.


      "Dad, what are you doing? Cheng is not a guest..." Yan Zheke tried to loosen things up. She grabbed her husband's hand and led him towards the couch. She called in her sweetest voice, "Grandpa, Grandma, Lou Cheng has brought you something."


      "Hello, Grandpa, Grandma..." Lou Cheng handed over the tea and original-proof spirits.


      "Heheh... You shouldn't have. Lou, come and sit." Yan Jihua accepted the bags after a few seconds of looking him up and down.


      As they each took a seat, he asked with a smile,


      "Lou, you also studied in Xiushan No.1 Middle School?"


      "All parents are into these kinds of questions..." Lou Cheng thought before answering, "Yes, I was just next door from Ke's class. Every time they brought out our grade rankings, I always heard her name."


      "Cheng was always in the top 20, sometimes even top 10. I knew his name back then." Yan Zheke showed off his good results.


      "I heard his name but didn't remember. When he introduced himself outside the Martial Arts Club, I didn't feel familiar at all..."


      "That's good." Yan Jihua and Gao Fen exchanged a glance with a nod.


      "Lou got in Songcheng University and they became schoolmates again," added Yan Kai.


      Yan Zheke had told them this in the past, but they wanted to begin from this topic to avoid any potential awkwardness.


      The well-read Yan Jihua asked, puzzled and curious,


      "Lou, how did you pick martial arts for your future?"


      "It was by chance. I saw Ke in the Martial Arts Club and I had this impulse to join her... After a few sessions, I realized I have some talent in this and thought that it shouldn't be wasted..." Lou Cheng answered honestly how he signed up for the Martial Arts Club in hopes of pursuing their granddaughter.


      He didn't want to bring it up in front of his parents, but he hoped to show his affection and appreciation for Ke before her family.


      "I didn't know that..." Yan Kai laughed with mixed feelings.


      Yan Jihua smiled genuinely and poked fun at him. "Lou, you nurtured schemes..."


      They chatted along about their past and Yan Zheke flushed a few times.


      "Lou, Ke is going to study abroad. She told me you planned to visit her often and practice martial arts there?" Gao Fen was most concerned about this practical problem.


      "Yeah, I aim to fly over once per month and stay one to two weeks every time." Lou Cheng took a stand.


      Yan Jihua nodded thoughtfully. "I better hire you a chef. These days, the youths don't know how to cook. Foreign dishes are boring..."


      "I can cook some simple food." Lou Cheng couldn't resist showing off. Yan Zheke nodded like a chick picking grains.


      "Oh? What can you make? What are you good at?" asked Yan Jihua out of curiosity.


      "Actually, just two dishes. One is noodle soup and the other is fried rice with eggs. I'm pretty good at those." Lou Cheng made fun of himself.


      The air around them suddenly froze as if some danger was brewing.


      Yan Kai leaned back and muttered to himself,


      "Good at fried rice with eggs..."


      "Damn it! It's exposed!" A past event came to his head and he came to a sudden realization. He turned around to Yan Zheke, who had the same shock in her eyes.


      He had snuck into the Yan villa last summer and made out with Ke. They prepared breakfast very romantically but almost got caught by his father-in-law, who mistook the bowl of fried rice with eggs that was cooked by Ke for him and didn't notice Lou Cheng's visit.


      He... It seemed he had just realized something...


      …


      "You're bad. Why did you show off?" In her room after lunch, Yan Zheke complained to Lou Cheng with a smile. "I was so worried my dad would jump up and wield his scalpel..."


      "I completely forgot about it." Lou Cheng wiped off his imaginary cold sweat.


      "We should never go beyond ourselves!"


      A loud knock came, followed by Yan Kai's clear voice. "Ke, Lou, I have brought some fruits to you."


      "Thank you, Uncle." Lou Cheng walked over and opened the door, seeing his father-in-law standing there with a plate of delicately cut fruits.


      Delicately cut...


      …


      After the meeting with Yan Zheke's grandparents, the young couple continued with their normal lives. Once in a while, Lou Cheng would have a meal with the Yan family and Yan Zheke would visit the Lou family. Now and then, they would have a date and get intimate. Soon, it was July 14th. The military claimed to have some progress regarding the origin of the wine pot.


      Lou Cheng packed his bag and stepped out of his room around noon.


      "My boy, good job. You're taking Ke on a trip!" Qi Fang nodded out of satisfaction, with no intention to urge him to stay.


      "Mom, don't look down upon your son." Lou Cheng shook his head while walking towards the door.


      Destination: Huacheng!


      The fight between the Dragon King and the Warrior Sage!




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     446 All Roads Lead to Rome
      At 5:20 PM, a plane landed in Heishui Airport in Huacheng.


      Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke walked into the arrival hall hand-in-hand, welcomed by waves of heat with humidity. Their skin instantly lost the ability to breathe in this massive steamer and they were suppressed by the sultriness.


      Lou Cheng quickly switched on his Power of Frost and his body felt refreshed at once. He even gave off some chill to Yan Zheke, which lured her to move closer into his arms.


      "Phew. How I love you, Cheng!" She confessed her love boldly and looked around before continuing with fear, "Let's not visit any tourist site these days."


      "The sultriness can kill!"


      "Although I have a walking air conditioner next to me, the experience won't be good..."


      "Sure. We can stay in our hotel room." Lou Cheng chuckled and almost raised his hands and feet to show his consent.


      Yan Zheke sensed his desire and glared at him with her tidy teeth showing.


      "Hahah... I mean, Huacheng is best known for its food. Dim sums, high teas, desserts, and all kinds of soups. We plan to eat and drink and spend the rest of the time in the hotel to avoid the scorching sun," Lou Cheng explained his plan.


      "I like it!" Yan Zheke agreed in a lively tone.


      They took a cab to Tianyue Hotel, which Lou Cheng had chosen for its location, which was very close to Huacheng's most famous restaurants and tea houses.


      Yan Zheke overcame her shyness to check in at the reception so Lou Cheng wouldn't be recognized.


      The photo on Lou Cheng's ID was taken in his senior year in high school, when his face looked quite different from now without his present bearing and disposition. It wouldn't be easy for a stranger to recognize this favored fighter of the age.


      The receptionist didn't notice anything odd and checked them in. After putting down their luggage, they headed straight to Huacheng Restaurant for dinner. They were highly satisfied with the roasted goose, roasted pigeon, and steamed trout there, which were already worth the long journey.


      Back in the hotel, Yan Zheke went to the bathroom with her makeup remover to wash off the sunscreen.


      Lou Cheng sat down on the bed and browsed the Longhu Club group on his mobile casually. Tomorrow would be the day for their meeting, but many of them had arrived today and stayed in the same hotel booked by the local A Plumber Eating Mushrooms. The wealthy Road to the Arena would sponsor some of the expenses and the others would go Dutch for the rest. Of course, students would pay half.



      Lou Cheng was stunned by the stream of messages flooding in.


      "Holy crap! Very chatty..." he ridiculed quietly and scrolled up to see how they first met.


      Wonton Seller uploaded a group photo.


      "La-la-lal! How many can you recognize?"


      It was a group photo of five members. Lou Cheng recognized his defeated opponents Jin Tao, Invincible Punch, and Zhou Yuanning, Road to the Arena, at once, who respectively stood on the far left and far right.


      Jin Tao didn't change much from the Warrior Sage Junior Challenge Tournament; he was handsome, sturdy, and much calmer. Zhou Yuanning in a casual suit appeared fatter and trendier with a cool hairstyle.


      In the middle was a five-foot-tall young girl, average student-looking and petite. To her left was a man in his late 20s, short and fat. And to her right was a young man in his early 20s, extremely slim and tall with a black-edged pair of glasses.


      "The most adorable height difference..." Lou Cheng burst into a laugh.


      Little Wonton was merely at the chest of the tall guy, like a daughter and her father.


      "Easy. You are the only girl, Little Wonton." Okamoto's Fan laughed with his palm facing up. "And three out of the other four have shared their photos in the past."


      Wonton Seller smiled with her hand covering her mouth. "What if I was a cute boy?"


      "My turn. From left to right there are Invincible Punch, A Plumber Eating Mushroom, Little Wonton, Pig-Riding Knight, and Road to the Arena," said Unparalleled Dragon King.


      "It didn't take you long at all... Damn it!" Wonton Seller flipped a table over. "Okay, let me introduce. To the far left is our handsome Little Punch. He got his Professional Ninth Pin certificate last October and is training hard to become a Dan stage mighty fighter before his graduation to enter the professional martial arts field!"


      "Thank you, Little Wonton, for bragging for me. I'll be in my senior year, and the Dan stage is no game..." Jin Tao, Invincible Punch, sent a salute emoji.


      With the Professional Ninth Pin certificate, he felt more confident as he had options.


      Wonton Seller continued, "Next to Little Punch is our talented Little Mushroom. Fond of music, painting, and martial arts, he has defeated us all with his knowledge."


      "Little Mushroom... Please don't talk like that. Mushrooms are ugly, fat, short, and cheap. They don't deserve a cute name." Okamoto's Fan and A Plumber Eating Mushroom were used to poking fun at each other every day.


      "F**k you!" A Plumber Eating Mushroom sent a disdain emoji.


      "Come. I'm lying on my belly. Take me if you can," Okamoto's Fan joked as always.


      "... You got it..." A Plumber Eating Mushroom squatted down in the corner, drawing circles.


      "I have decided. When Little Fan arrives tomorrow, he will check in the same room with Little Mushroom!" Wonton Seller sent a sticker of a rolling white ball.


      "Little Fan... You got me..." Okamoto's Fan quieted down.


      Wonton Seller continued in the shade, "The one in the middle, I'll skip... Little Pig Riding is so tall... I have to look up and admire him. He is one exam away from becoming a CPA and still takes time to manage our forum. Don't you admire him? By the way, I have a secret to share with you all. He has won Little Sky's heart! Aren't you jealous?"


      Above the Sky was a rock n roll girl.


      "Err... You steal what is entrusted to your care! You promote your private interests under the guise of serving the public!" Okamoto's Fan widened his eyes and he added, "The boss is incredible!"


      He attempted to use the word "Riding the public vehicle for your private interests," but didn't want to cross the line.


      "Okamoto, I was ready to kick you out of the group. Fortunately, you didn't go too far." Pig-Riding Knight raised his brows.


      "I guess I don't need to introduce our Little Arena. The true boss of our group, thank you for your generosity. The first bow, the second bow..." Wonton Seller flushed. "He left martial arts to embrace the entire world."


      "Hahah... I'm running errands for my family and have a few bucks to spare..." Road to the Arena loved to show off as always.


      Lou Cheng read on with a smile and saw Above the Sky and Sea-Blue's arrival. Above the Sky had long, straight hair and a matching pair of glasses with Pig-Riding Knight with no sign of rock n roll. Sea-Blue was a chubby girl of 1.6 meters in height, cute and bubbly. They became integrated with the others right away.


      They were both in their senior year in university.


      More and more members arrived and the group became more and more lively. Those in Huacheng were broadcasting and those away were watching and joking.


      Lou Cheng scrolled down and saw Unparalleled Dragon King join the others a dozen minutes ago in a black t-shirt, tall, fat, and nerdy.


      "Watching you in silence..." wrote Lou Cheng after reading everything to get involved.


      "Tiger, I look down on you for having a school holiday but not coming." A Plumber Eating Mushroom sent a disdain emoji.


      "I agree! Little Tiger, we are about to feast! I'll send you delicious pictures!" Wonton Seller chimed in.


      Road to the Arena asked out of confusion, "Tiger, I remember you will be in your third year in September. If you don't come and have some fun now, you won't have the time once you get a job (Manual comic talk)."


      "I'll do my best to get a leisurely job," Lou Cheng joked.


      He had never revealed that he was a student in Songcheng University in this group.


      "Leisurely jobs don't pay much..." Pig-Riding Knight put on a cunning grin. "Ignore me if you are as well off as Master Road."


      "That's enough for now. We are setting out to Huacheng Restaurant!" Invincible Punch ended the conversation.


      "I hate you. All of you!" Brahman, who couldn't make it, suddenly jumped out with a complaint.


      Yan Zheke came out, fiddling with her hair. She glanced at Lou Cheng and asked, puzzled,


      "Cheng, what are you looking at?"


      "The Longhu forum group is meeting up today. I'm reading their conversation." Lou Cheng smiled.


      "Let me see." Yan Zheke sat next to Lou Cheng out of curiosity and took over his mobile.


      Lou Cheng wrapped his arm around her and moved his head closer to breathe in her fragrance.


      "... Little Wonton is around the same height as Ling." Yan Zheke pointed at the picture.


      "I think Little Wonton is taller. She looks like a victim held by Pig-Riding Knight and Unparalleled Dragon King as captive. Their height and temperament differences are so distinctive and amusing. If Yan Xiaoling was there, it would have the same effect." Lou Cheng made fun of his two fans and couldn't get enough of his wife's floral scent.


      Before Yan Zheke could say more, she felt the hand on her waist tightening and the breath by her ear getting hotter.


      Her body was stiff and then softened as she glared at Lou Cheng softly. She moved her head away and said,


      "Shower... Shower first..."


      "Yes!" Lou Cheng dashed into the washroom.


      …


      On July 15th, the pair got up for their morning exercises as planned. They then went back to the hotel room after having dim sums together.


      Before Lou Cheng could attempt anything wicked, Yan Zheke urged him to practice English for going to the States.


      They studied and fooled around until evening, and she finally let him relieve his desire.


      On July 16th, they headed to Chixia Mountain after their morning training and breakfast, the home field of the Longhu Club.


      As the vehicle merged into the Mountain Road, Yan Zheke pulled Lou Cheng and pointed at a bus. "Cheng, Little Wonton."


      Lou Cheng turned around and saw members of the Longhu Club forum sitting on the bus as their car drove by.




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     447 Representing Yourself Two Part Chapter
      As the car traveled along and slowed down, the bus quickly vanished into the distance, disappearing from Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke's sight.


      "Small world..." Lou Cheng shook his head and couldn't help laughing. He pushed up his glasses and sighed.


      He knew very well that his online friends from the Longhu Club forum would be watching the competition today, but he hadn't thought that he'd suddenly run into them on the way there.


      Of course, this was all just in his head. Even if they had seen the passenger inside the car, they wouldn't have known that it was their good friend Schrodinger's Tiger, and there was a high probability they wouldn't even recognize that it was Lou Cheng.


      Yan Zheke laughed and hummed upon hearing this, then looked at her husband.


      "Cheng, I've just remembered the lyric from a song!"


      "What?" Lou Cheng asked curiously.


      Yan Zheke pursed her lips and said with a smile, "It's hard to hold the hand of someone you have no chance with."


      "This is who with who?!" Lou Cheng responded with a laugh, then wittily added, "Then can we say we've come thousands of miles to be united through destiny, and for a hundred years we can rest our heads and sleep peacefully together?"


      Yan Zheke tsked as the corners of her mouth stood up and she glanced to the side, immediately "giving the cold shoulder" to Lou Cheng,


      "Such an old song, yet you still remember it this clearly?! Old man Cheng!"


      As they bickered good-naturedly, the car slowed down and entered the parking lot. After Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke each paid half of the parking fee, they opened the doors, got out, and followed along the road according to the directions. They held hands and walked for about 600-700 meters.


      Turning into an opening in the mountain, both of their eyes immediately opened wide. All they could feel was the 'heat' in the air as it suddenly increased exponentially and become more intense.


      Ahead of them, the wide expanse gradually lowered the more it went towards the center. In between every few steps, flames were emitted from the ground, burning quietly. Regardless of whether it was night or day, the flames never went out.


      Looking into the distance, Lou Cheng could make out something dark and red flowing within the cracks in the central location. Closer to the outside, it seemed as if there was something dark grey condensing and covering it like a suit of armor. Even seeing it all from this far, one could feel the brutal and blazing heat.



      This was the Longhu Club's home ground, the renowned Blazing Underworld!


      Wrapped around this area that was the size of two or three soccer fields, there was a half-sealed, transparent walkway. Inside, its height was split into several rows, separating it into individual boxes. In order for it to operate as an ordinary viewing platform, this was done to protect the weak and helpless spectators from being injured by the flying flames, sputtering lava, and the aftermath of various explosions. It utilized highly advanced anti-explosive and fire-resistant technology for the glass and kept a small passage to listen to the announcements.


      Yan Zheke rummaged for the two tickets in her bag and found the corresponding glass box. A security guard led them through and opened the door to let them in. There were a sofa inside and three large television screens showing the Blazing Underworld from different angles.


      "This is the first time I've enjoyed such VIP treatment..." Lou Cheng sized up the room with a smile on his face.


      "Actually, I prefer more people as the atmosphere and excitement can be contagious." Yan Zheke eye's shifted as she didn't conceal her own opinion. "But my grandfather was unwilling to let that happen since he was afraid there'd be some kind of accident. I even told him that I'd be going together with you, but he still wasn't reassured."


      "Reassuring a grandfather, that's an Inhuman Stage ability..." Lou Cheng said, mocking himself.


      In the eyes of the Mighty Ones with Physical Invulnerability, a recent peak Sixth Pin Dan Stage fighter wasn't that much reassurance.


      "Perhaps so. You can do it, young man!" Yan Zheke replied, half poking fun and half encouraging.


      As footage played back from all of the previous competitions, it was soon 10:25. All of the seats in the viewing platforms were taken up by people, including no lack of reporters with their cameras.


      There were several drones as well photographing everyone's positions, recording and playing it back on the screens of the glass promenade, allowing the crowd to see anywhere and everywhere.


      Outside of their own room to the left, Lou Cheng noticed Little Wonton standing on the third viewing platform, inside a glass room. She was so excited that she couldn't sit down, glancing all around her.


      After the introductions and a warm-up dance on the edges of the space, the sky suddenly became dark. Then an oppressive and stifling atmosphere came over everything.


      BAM!


      The sound of a thunderbolt cracked, which then changed into a wave, rolling all around as if it'd become a solid entity.


      Was this Warrior Sage Qian Donglou's momentum? Contacting with Heaven and the Earth, so much so that it interfered with nature? As Lou Cheng quietly pondered, he was again unable to sit down. He stood up and walked to the glass, about a half step away.


      Yan Zheke did the same, standing side by side with him.


      Just then, soaring down in the middle of the wide-open arena, two giant flames lept forward like two dark red flowing irons emitting black ash while spewing out clouds of golden spray!


      BOOM!


      An explosion of magma rose towards the sky and then descended, lighting up the dusk and illuminating a distant figure in the field.


      He was wearing a magnificent, valiant-looking navy blue martial arts suit. He stood tall and straight and had sharp and angular facial features, his eyebrows like swords and his eyes like embers. His short hair stood up on end, giving him a wild appearance. While it was hard to make out in the light, this probably was a man who was already past 30.


      Bam, bam, bam! Every time he took a step, the earth quaked, making the flames leap up higher and higher and the lava spray up and up.


      Without any prompting, everyone, including Lou Cheng, simultaneously yelled out the name known by all, making it resound throughout the mountains ridges:


      "Dragon King!"


      Dragon King Chen Qitao!


      In the midst of this atmosphere, the sky darkened once again, as if a black cloud had converged, pressing down and causing the crowd inside the packed arena to feel ill-at-ease. The color of the leaping flames and soaring lava dimmed.


      From the other side, a strangely dressed man walked out unhurriedly. The white gown he wore seemed both like a martial arts suit and a Daoist one as well. Green and purple lightning and thunder were embroidered on the edges. He was two or three centimeters shorter than Lou Cheng and he looked rather delicate and refined in manner. He seemed quite restrained and was not one to show off.


      Warrior Sage Qian Donglou!


      The Warrior Sage, who was two years younger than Dragon King, Qian Donglou!


      He'd made a name for himself when he was young. Before he'd taken on Chen Qitao face-to-face, he crushed an entire generation worth of fighters. He was well known throughout the country, and nobody dared challenge one of the Heavenly Sons!


      Also, as he had grown older, he had earned the obedience of the previous few generations of fighters as well.


      Even though he worshiped Dragon King and similar guys who had that kind of temperament more, Lou Cheng had to admit, Warrior Sage Qian Donglou was what a great scholar looked like in his mind.


      Now he would have to use his own power to resist the Dragon King and the entire crowd's momentum!


      The referee didn't dare enter the center of the arena. From far away he raised up his right hand and played out his role of the human announcer.


      "The first match of the competition.


      "Dragon King Chen Qitao versus Warrior Sage Qian Donglou!"


      On occasions such as this, when you had ranked fighters, you had to address them as such in order to show respect!


      "Dragon King! Dragon King!"


      Amidst the cheers, the referee abruptly swung his right hand down, and said in a clear voice,


      "Begin!"


      His words were still in the air as he frantically lept up, heading far away from the battle zone.


      Bang!


      At this moment, Dragon King Chen Qitao was already throwing his fist out, as if he was striking at nothing but the air.


      However, his fist was more like a missile strongly pulling his body forward at high speed, leaving behind a noticeable trace and also creating a loud cracking sound.


      The Fist Carries the Body!


      Drawing out the trail, Dragon King's fist exploded outwards, and for a brief moment, there was a golden-red flame. It spread at great speed, covering his entire body and making it seem as if he'd become a God of Firewalking the earth.


      Super Saiyan...  this thought suddenly came into Lou Cheng's mind.


      Warrior Sage Qian Donglou didn't know how many battles he and Dragon King had fought, but they had a mutual understanding. Earlier, his thinking was that he wouldn't make a move. He faced the attack and both of his hands clapped together.


      BAM!


      There was a sound like a giant lightning strike, and it was if everyone could feel it rumbling inside their own hearts. Even several hundred meters out, the glass shook. Yan Zheke felt as she'd been hit herself. Her spirit was shaken and it was hard for her to gather her emotions.


      Sending out a Thunderbolt from a Clear Sky at the same time, Warrior Sage's hands parted and out jumped a purple Thunder Blade.


      Just after appearing, it immediately chopped down on the golden-red flame shield covering Dragon King's body.


      Qian Donglou followed closely behind, his body curling up into a silver-white lightning, like a God who had descended into the world of mortals.


      And thus the fierceness of the battle increased, the two greatest modern day Mighty Ones battling like a raging fire. Lou Cheng watched in a daze, wishing that he was able to copy their every move and variation.


      Compared to watching a television broadcast, seeing a live on-the-spot battle felt more three-dimensional and you could more easily see for yourself the real might of the Mighty Ones with Physical Invulnerability. For example, the ground trembled occasionally and, even separated by the fire-proof glass, you could still feel the waves of flame and ear-splitting thunder...


      The battle had gone on for a full twenty minutes and the lava in the center of the field had become a fountain. Dragon King Chen Qitao's entire body was surrounded by circles of either gold, red, purple, or white fireballs.


      Following each and every move of his attack, the fireballs fused together, congealing into a group and shrinking in the hollow of his palm.


      With a loud shout, Dragon King extended his arm, then suddenly lept up high and slammed his fist down.


      BOOM!


      Lou Cheng reacted quickly and rushed out his hands to cover Yan Zheke's eyes. At that moment, the place in which the two Great Mighty Ones were exchanging blows shone and caused stabs of pain in the eyes of all those in the crowd. For a moment, everything was blurry, and the burning white glare caused everyone to shed tears as if a great sun had descended to this very spot.


      BAM!


      Waves of flames shot out and a small scale mushroom cloud rose up, blooming greatly.


      As soon as Lou Cheng opened his eyes, Dragon King had relied on his home field advantage and edged out Warrior Sage by half a move.


      Looking at the playback and connecting it with his own previous personal experience, Lou Cheng was unable to contain himself and he blurted out in praise,


      "That's the stuff!"


      This really was a battle that could make a fighter burn with passion!


      Just a few dozen meters away, some men were like gods!


      "So great..." Yan Zheke praised in a low voice as she looked towards Lou Cheng with excitement.


      "Mmm, it was worth coming, way more exciting than watching a broadcast." Lou Cheng glanced at all of the traces and marks left on the glass in front of him.


      As the two held hands and left the theater box in high spirits, they spoke about the day's competition.


      Just then, as she stared unfixedly in the distance, Yan Zheke pulled Lou Cheng close and tilted her chin to point as she said,


      "Little Wonton..."


      Ah... Lou Cheng looked out, unconvinced. He then saw the dainty and vivacious young girl, Wonton Seller, slowly coming over holding a notebook. Is her goal to, possibly, it looks as if, agh, is it me?


      What is she looking for me for?


      She won't know that I'm Schrodinger's Tiger, will she?


      Impossible, I haven't revealed that I'm a student at Songcheng University at all, and I haven't updated them in any way about my personal status. How could they possibly find out?


      In the midst of his bewilderment, Wonton Seller had already come close. Seeing the bewilderment and astonishment in both Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke's eyes, she smiled sweetly and said,


      "Hello, Lou Cheng."


      Right, she recognizes me as Lou Cheng. She's come over because she wants a signature. That's perfectly normal...  Lou Cheng felt that he understood now, and smiled lightly as he replied, "Hello."


      Wonton Seller explained in embarrassment, "You're wearing glasses, so none of us recognized you. But I saw..."


      She didn't say anything afterward and merely glanced at Yan Zheke.


      Such a beautiful girl with her own distinguishing features could also easily be recognized by others!


      "Got it." Lou Cheng looked at his wife somewhat mockingly and received wide open eyes from her in response.


      Wonton Seller again showed her smile, and pointed at A Plumber Eating Mushrooms, Pig-Riding Knight, and others behind her and said,


      "We're all from the Longhu Club Forum. You should know those two, right?"


      She was talking about Road to the Arena and Invincible Punch.


      "I know them, my memory isn't that bad. That little Warrior Sage Challenge Tournament has a special meaning in my heart." Lou Cheng laughed lightly.


      He once again became unsure of what Little Wonton had come over for.


      "You remember!" Wonton Seller shouted excitedly, then recalled with sincerity, "Ever since then, quite a few of us have been watching you, seeing first hand how you've grown step by step and leading the Song Cheng University Martial Arts Club to become national champions. We all really believe that you're the favored fighter of the age and can become a Mighty One with Physical Invulnerability in the future.


      "Before a competition, after we're sure it's you, we all post it in the forum, make threads, and a lot of users will respond."


      At this point, she paused, raising the notebook that was in her hand up high. On the cover was Wonton Seller, Pig-Riding Knight, Road to the Arena, and others' names. She bowed and said,


      "Representing ourselves, and representing a part of the Longhu Club fans, we make this earnest request to you. If, if in the future you don't return to the Ice God Sect, would you consider the Longhu Club? We really do like you! We really believe that you can create a brilliant future here!"


      When Little Wonton adopted this pose, Road to the Arena, Invincible Punch, Above the Sky, and the other forum members followed suit. However, they were not copying the others but merely expressing themselves.


      Lou Cheng suddenly felt a bit moved, partially because of how people whom he knew would do such a thing and also because of some other subtle emotions. He smiled and said,


      "I won't guarantee anything. All I can say is that you all should know that I'm a fan of Longhu."


      He reached out his hand and took the autograph notebook.


      Little Wonton had an exceptionally brilliant smile.


      "Thank you, thank you! We'll put up a 'Lou Cheng Longhu" topic on Weibo and keep it there until you make your decision!"


      Finished speaking, she waved her hand and in great delight ran back, high-fiving Road to the Arena and others one after the other.


      Lou Cheng looked at them deeply as he held the notebook. He held onto his fairy as they walked out of the arena.


      "I'm also a Longhu fan..." Yan Zheke said suddenly in a low voice.


      Lou Cheng glanced over, and the two of them smiled at each other, knowing they didn't have to say anything.


      Waiting until they were far away, Little Wonton, who was still excitedly talking about what had happened, suddenly shouted,


      "I'm so stupid! I forgot to ask for his autograph, and I forgot to ask Lou Cheng if he has a username on our forum!"


      ...


      After eating lunch and returning to the hotel, Yan Zheke went into the restroom and removed the sunscreen that she'd applied to her face, neck, arms, and feet. Lou Cheng took a small cushion and put it behind him as he sat casually on top of the bed, skimming through the Longhu Club group. Beside him, he had put the petition notebook that Wonton Seller and the other forum users had given him.


      "Haha, Little Dragon really is considerate, helping to take a photo of me and Lou Cheng!" At this moment, Wonton Seller was showing off.


      This so-called photo was when she was explaining the whole story to Lou Cheng, and it was more of a candid snap than anything. As a result, the only part of her that was visible was the back of her ponytail.


      However, she didn't mind this at all, to the point that she quite happily said, "No need to photoshop!"


      "I hate you!" said Brahman with flowing tears after hearing about the real-life meeting between the forum users and how they'd met Lou Cheng.


      Wonton Seller looked at her weakly. "I originally wanted to help you get an autograph, but I was too nervous. Other than the official business, I forgot everything else..."


      "We're through!" Brahman said, covering her ears and shaking her head.


      "What kind of position is that?" Okamoto's Fan interrupted.


      According to Little Wonton, based on his real life persona and how he appeared online, it was as if they were two different people. He'd been shy and not spoken much.


      "I hate you all..." Brahman repeated once again, then proceeded to address Unparalleled Dragon King, "Little Dragon, Little Dragon, what realm has my idol gotten to?"


      "How should I know? Even with Mighty Ones with Physical Invulnerability, it's not possible to judge if they're at the Dan Stage or tell what their particular level is just by looking at them! Unless they're bursting at the seams with charm and you're right in their face," Unparalleled Dragon King said with his hands spread out. "However, it's been less than three months since the National Competition finished. The highest physical capability and martial arts skill that he could have now should be a peak Sixth Pin level."


      "Then are his chances of winning against Bai Xiao high?" Road to the Arena asked, full of interest.


      "There are still five months left. There's still hope for Lou Cheng to once again awaken his supernatural ability and become Inhuman before the end of the year," Unparalleled Dragon King said with certainty.


      "Yikes, I'm a bit worried. If Bai Xiao wins, my idol definitely won't be happy." Brahman was being watched by her parents and hadn't joined the meetup, so all she could do was wantonly post all of her feelings in the group.


      "Gah, what are you worried about? Two years ago, no, last year in January, there wasn't much of a difference between me and Lou Cheng.... Today I haven't even touched the threshold of the Dan Stage, while he's charging towards the Inhuman Stage. Even if he doesn't accomplish it by the end of the year and has to bear some ridicule, he'll be able to transform in the next year and retaliate against those who slandered him," Invincible Punch said with no small amount of sorrow.


      "Don't worry about all this. Look at the time, Little Brahman, just wait until you get into college, then you can come and see Lou Cheng represent our Longhu Club in battle!" Having an idea of the ideal speed of improvement in her mind, Wonton Seller said with encouragement, "When the time comes, you can test into the city of flowers!"


      Talking and talking, she again sighed heavily. "I always thought I had a good head on my shoulders, but then... I thought before that Lou Cheng possibly could be a fan of our Longhu Club. I planned on asking him if he had a username on our forum, and if he didn't, then to get him to register one..."


      "If he registered, I'd give him all of the names straight away!" Invincible Punch said goofily.


      "Aaaaagh, I'm so sorry, Little Brahman, I didn't get the signature!" Wonton Seller was essentially talking to herself and not paying any attention to the others' responses.


      "There, there, Little Wonton, don't be sad. These assignments can be given to Little Changye. She's managed to sneak into the Song Cheng University Martial Arts Club!" Brahman comforted her friend.


      "Exactly, and Lou Cheng's signature doesn't have any value anyway. The characters are so ugly." Lou Cheng was unable to resist from chiming in with a self-deprecating remark.


      Wonton Seller and Brahman responded almost simultaneously,


      "We just like him!"


      "That's part of his personality!"


      "Haha, Tiger, don't bring up reason with girls at a time like this." Pig-Riding Knight laughed. "When I posted Lou Cheng's response in the forum, everyone was so passionate. In the future, Shangqing has Peng Leyun, Kongtong has Ren Li, Daxing Temple has already come out with Zhi Hai and Shi Shan, and for us, we have Lou Cheng!"


      "It's just that we don't know when he can become Inhuman, and whether he does or doesn't have the potential to charge into physical invulnerability..." A Plumber Eating Mushrooms said with obvious worry.


      It was not certain whether a small seedling could grow into a tall tree.


      The future belongs to you. These words can often jinx you...


      While Lou Cheng idly chatted, Yan Zheke put on the slippers that the hotel offered and came out of the restroom. Aiming her eyes at the petition notebook, she said with a smile, "What do you think? Is it complicated?"


      "Mmm, I'll just have to say that I'm Schrodinger's Tiger..." Lou Cheng sighed.


      After this exchange, Yan Zheke curled up one leg and put the other leg on the bedside as she swiped through news stories on Weibo. She then gasped and with great excitement said,


      "Cheng, Cheng, come here. Dragon King's so handsome and stylish in this picture..."


      Lou Cheng moved closer and saw that it was a photo of Dragon King after he had delivered his killer move. The golden-red flames jumped and flickered, and the appearance of his muscles was perfect. His strength was incredible.


      "You're right!" he echoed in praise.


      "There's this one too... this one... Dragon King looks really young, and there's really something special about him..." As Yan Zheke continued through stories about Dragon King from time to time, she would interject with some words of praise.


      As Lou Cheng listened to his fairy's narration, he suddenly felt wronged.


      When his wife had worshipped Dragon King before, he hadn't thought anything of it and rather believed that the two of them shared a common connection. However, after watching the live match, he had suddenly realized that Dragon King was 12 or 13 years older than him, that he was much more handsome than himself, and that his martial arts abilities were much greater. Also, it wasn't certain if he would enter the Longhu Club in the future, as he then would no longer have his two separate worlds. He was at a crossroads...


      Lou Cheng fell silent with his heart sullen.


      Women are quite sharp. As Yan Zheke shared the news, she suddenly raised her head and looked at Lou Cheng. Baffled, both of her eyes blinking, she said,


      "Cheng, what's wrong?"


      "Nothing..." Lou Cheng took his phone and pretended to skim through the forum.


      Yan Zheke pursed her lips, eyeballing him with suspicion. She went through what had just happened, and the corners of her mouth went up. Her dimples appeared as she smiled. Half-surprised and half-pleased, she asked in a quiet voice,


      "Cheng, are you jealous?"


      "About what?" Lou Cheng subconsciously retorted.


      Yan Zheke changed her positioning and kneeled beside him. She hummed and smiled as she looked at his face, and then said,


      "I'm just admiring Dragon King's indomitable spirit as an idol. As an idol, his ego, his showing off, and his pettiness are all adorable and quite cute, but if I could get to know him closely, I don't like this kind of person!


      "Furthermore, I've always been someone who likes rationality. Look, I don't go through and comment on news stories about Dragon King often, do I?"


      "I'm not jealous." Without knowing it, there was a smile on Lou Cheng's face as he denied with embarrassment.


      Yan Zheke curled her lips into a smile. She raised up three fingers and said wittily,


      "I swear, I will not worship Dragon King so much.


      "I swear, there's only one favorite idol of mine, and that's Sky Shaking Roar Brother Cheng."


      Lou Cheng snorted with laughter and once again denied it.


      "I'm not jealous, really! Is it even worthwhile for me to get jealous over something like this?"


      Yan Zheke eye's brightened as she covered her mouth and laughed.


      "Cheng, you're so awkward when you're jealous, it's so cute..."


      She had not finished talking when Lou Cheng had already gotten off the bed in a tizzy.


      "Shower... gah, shower...."


      Amidst his intermittent voice, she took off her slippers, curlings and rolling her exquisite and beautiful toes.


      For the next day and a half, the two of them revised their plans. Morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, a midnight snack. Every day, these five meals didn't change, but without them knowing it, their language practice became much shorter.


      On July 18th, beaming with pride from head to toe, Lou Cheng held his luggage and waited for her to come out of the restroom, preparing to check out and return home.


      Nine minutes later, Yan Zheke opened the door and stepped out with a white complexion. She pursed her lips together and said,


      "I'm menstruating..."


      "I know. I've prepared some brown sugar and ginger tea. Come here, I'll give you a massage." Lou Cheng shook the thermos cup in his hand.


      Yan Zheke's white teeth bit her lip, and as if her mood was fluctuating, said in a low voice,


      "What do you know? You don't know anything..."


      "Wha..." Lou Cheng looked at her in bewilderment. He didn't understand why she would so suddenly be angry.


      At that moment, Yan Zheke remembered herself, and with difficulty, the corners of her mouth moved as she said,


      "Cheng, I'm just in a bad mood. I didn't mean to say that to you..."


      "I understand, menstruation period," Lou Cheng said with realization.


      Yan Zheke's right hand pressed on her waist as she looked down at her toes and muttered silently, You don't understand anything...


      "That crazy idea of mine still hasn't happened...


      "God won't let me stay...


      "Sooner than we know it, according to plan, we'll leave for Songcheng University and finish all of the procedures. At the beginning of August, it'll be farewell..."




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     448 Hard to Say Goodbye
      Back from Huacheng, Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke went to Songcheng to prepare for her study abroad. As she frequently met with Gu Shuang, Song Li, and Xing Jingjing, Lou Cheng realized the matter they'd rather not talk about had become impossible to ignore.


      The heaviness began to develop between them. However confident and well prepared they were, the unknown and the long distance were still terrifying for this young couple at the age of 19 and 20.


      Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke were reluctant to part. They spent every possible moment with each other but still couldn't get enough of each other. They attempted to soothe the mental suppression with the extreme physical pleasure.


      About their meeting up often and spending time together alone, Lou Zhisheng and Qi Fang seemed pleased with it, while Yan Kai and Ji Mingyu turned a blind eye to it.


      However, their passionate lovemaking couldn't freeze time. Soon came the day she had to leave.


      August 5th, Gaofen Airport before the security check.


      Yan Kai and Ji Mingyu moved a few steps away to give them some privacy.


      Yan Zheke pursed her lips tightly, locked her clear eyes on Lou Cheng, and fixed his collar out of habit. She then put on her soft voice.


      "Cheng, don't worry. Empress Dowager has decided to stay with me until September to help me adapt myself to the new environment.


      "America is not the safest country, but dangers mostly take place in certain areas. I have no plans to go about, so it won't be a problem. Also, Empress Dowager has hired a Dan stage master from the Shushan Study to protect me over there. Her husband died young and her son is in college. She has loads of free time and is a great cook.


      "I'll spend my two long holidays back here. You must make yourself available for me, okay?"


      "I promise!" Lou Cheng forced a smile.


      Yan Zheke finished slowly and her eyes on Lou Cheng became soft and tender, full of affection and sorrow.


      "Take care of yourself when I'm not here. Go out to have a nice meal with Talker now and then. Don't just get by in the cafeteria.


      "Don't be completely careless about your clothing. Collocate well before putting them on. Ask me or Talker if you are unsure. You are a famous martial artist now. You are one of the favored fighters of the age. The public image is important..."



      Her eyes were red and her voice was disturbed by sobs.


      Lou Cheng took a deep breath and promised in a deep, mature tone,


      "Yes. I'll book my flight over once Empress Dowager decides her date for coming back."


      The Ice God Sect had promised to take care of his passport and visa. All he needed was to show up.


      "Hmm. Reply to my messages every day and talk with me!" Yan Zheke put on a bitter smile and waved. "It's getting late. I better go."


      "Yeah." Lou Cheng struggled to wave his hand, watching her turn around and step to Yan Kai and Ji Mingyu.


      After two steps, she abruptly turned around and waved at Lou Cheng again.


      Lou Cheng responded with nod.


      Yan Zheke and her parents advanced towards the security check.


      A few steps later, she looked back and locked her eyes with Lou Cheng's for a few seconds.


      She looked back seven if not eight times during such a short distance.


      After the final long gaze, she forced a smile and waved once again, calling silently with her lips,


      "See you in September..."


      She turned around and strode forth to join Yan Kai and Ji Mingyu to the right. Her figure in a chiffon top, jeans, and white shoes disappeared in front of Lou Cheng gradually.


      Intense feelings surged inside Lou Cheng. He ran forward without knowing and caught the beautiful back of Yan Zheke until she completely walked out of his vision.


      He opened his mouth but didn't let out any sound in the end, feeling lost.


      His little fairy was nowhere in his sight.


      …


      Walking behind her parents, Yan Zheke moved slowly with a small suitcase. She turned around once again subconsciously in hopes of seeing that familiar, adorable figure one more time but in her sight were just strange faces.


      Her heart was empty, so was her mind. She suddenly turned around and ran towards the entrance in search of him.


      "Ke?" Yan Kai's voice stopped her steps.


      She threw one more glance at the entrance and then rejoined her parents, biting her bottom lip gently.


      Yan Kai and Ji Mingyu exchanged a look with a silent sigh and didn't say anything.


      After the security check, they headed towards the first class lounge. Yan Zheke remained silent and grabbed the hand next to her out of habit.


      Instead of the thickness and warmth she had expected, it was a cold, slim palm in her hand.


      She turned her head and saw Empress Dowager's hand in hers.


      She wanted to grab her arm with the other hand to make it natural and less awkward but her other hand was occupied by a suitcase.


      Yan Zheke's vision was blurred by a thin layer of tears and she turned her head to the side, her eyes red.


      Ji Mingyu was once like this herself. She sensed the mood change in her daughter and tapped her hand gently with a smile.


      "Should have let Lou accompany you to the States. We are not good enough?"


      "No!" Yan Zheke wrapped up all her feelings and emotions like always. She refused to shed tears of sorrow.


      Yan Kai with one backpack and two small suitcases stood there and watched them quietly.


      Ji Mingyu grabbed one suitcase and entered the lounge with her husband and daughter.


      She poured a glass of juice for Yan Zheke and sat down next to her with a caring smile.


      "I think sweetness can soothe emotions."


      "Yeah." Yan Zheke took a sip, the sweet and sour taste stimulating her spirit.


      Ji Mingyu put on a very gentle tone,


      "I've been concerned about you making silly decisions. I guess I've thought too much. You are my good daughter. As Lou has promised, you will see each other in just over one month. Don't be upset."


      Silly decisions... Yan Zheke lost in her mother's words and a wry smile climbed on her face.


      "I did make silly decisions...


      "I'm so not ready to have my own child or to be a mother. But I decided to take the slim chance and leave the decision to God because of my fear of parting with Cheng.


      "If I got pregnant, things would go beyond my imagination...


      "How silly and crazy I have been these days!


      "However, on the other hand, Cheng has done more silly things than me.


      "He ran until out of breath before talking to me in front of the Martial Arts Club. How shy and nervous he was!


      "He hoped to hold my hand when we went boating at Zhaoshan Lake during our social meetup, but I jumped on agilely. How silly and cute he was!


      "He confessed his love for me on that Valentine's Day without any foreshadowing. Such an impulsive lunkhead!"


      "He wanted to grab my hand on our first date but was too stiff and scared of being rejected. When we finally held hands, he was so lost and forgot about the traffic and direction.


      "And that time we were kissing so passionately in the locker room when Reporter Shu knocked at the door. He was stressed and upset, on the edge of beating them up.


      "And he always desired to make out with me and always managed to stick to the baseline by taking a cold shower helplessly with grief and indignation."


      …


      Yan Zheke's thought went wild. Thinking about all the silly things Lou Cheng has done for her, her lips curved upward with joy. But as more and more memories flashed in her head, her smile froze and her heart swelled. Something was brewing and something was about to break free.


      "After the loss to Shanbei, he wanted me to experience the feeling of jumping off a high building and we hugged so tightly against the wind.


      "He taught me many wicked things. We climbed walls. We sneaked out all night...


      "And that night, he couldn't help kissing every inch of my skin during the foot massage...


      "That night, he called my name so desperately and passionately in bed. Thrilled and wild with joy, he still thought about protection...


      "And how adorable he was when he felt jealous of the Dragon King for no reason..."


      …


      Memories from the last two years flooded in her head. The beautiful moments and feelings from their love were clear like yesterday. It bubbled in her heart and mind and blurred her vision. The bondage that kept her emotions under control was about to break.


      "Ke, you are crying?" Ji Mingyu looked at her daughter in shock.


      Yan Zheke wiped her eyes and forced a smile.


      "I'm not, Mom. You know me. I don't cry for sorrow."


      She lowered her head and sent Lou Cheng a message from her phone.


      "Cheng, what are you doing now?"


      Lou Cheng standing at a higher position outside the airport replied with a wry smile,


      "I have found a place where I can watch airplanes take off and land..."


      "A place for watching airplanes take off and land..." Yan Zheke chanted silently and everything in her heart went wild. The scenes she had recalled dashed out of her heart and went away.


      Her vision was completely blurred and something warm rolled down her face, leaving a salty taste on her lips.


      "Ke..." Ji Mingyu and Yan Kai was stunned by the tears on her daughter's face.


      Yan Zheke lost control of her tears and emotion. She grabbed her mobile and stood up, sobbing.


      "Mom, Dad, I need to make a phone call."


      She ran to the corner and dialed Lou Cheng's number nervously.


      "Hello, Cheng..." Her voice was shaking and tears continued rolling down her fair face.


      "Ke, what is it?" Asked Lou Cheng, very concerned.


      Yan Zheke couldn't see clearly. She continued, weeping,


      "Cheng, I have never said it to you."


      She sobbed and cried in a low voice,


      "Cheng... "


      "Yes?" Lou Cheng felt his eyes wet.


      Yan Zheke paused for a second and tears filled up her eyes again.


      "Cheng, I love you!"


      …


      One hour later, Lou Cheng checked his phone and confirmed her flight was taking off. He looked up towards the airport and saw a huge airplane rise slowly into the sky and gradually disappear in front of his eyes.


      His heart felt empty like a broken moon or a tideless ocean. Nothing could make up for it.


      He withdrew his eyes and went down the stairs blankly. Then his mobile suddenly rang and it was from Geezer Shi.


      "Hello, Master," Lou Cheng answered calmly.


      Geezer Shi laughed.


      "Yan Girl has taken off, right? I didn't want to send you work in these times... We have some clues about the wine pot with the Dou character. The military wants to pursue it themselves, but I'd rather you do it. It's a good opportunity to test your comprehensive capabilities."




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     449 Two Groups
      "The wine pot with the Dou character came from Li Wanquan, the owner of the Li Family's Silverware Shop in Zhengyun Ancient City. Trace this thread down...


      "The task in Linbian was more dangerous than we thought. The Sect has decided to raise your reward to 150,000. The money should reach your account in a day or two. Keep an eye on it.


      "Anyway, contact me or the military if anything unexpected takes place. While there's life, there's hope, right?"


      On the express train, Lou Cheng rested with his eyes half-closed and recalled his master's warning. He had received a text message from the bank and his account had almost one million after receiving the reward money.


      He had spent a lot of money since the end of June. Over ten nights in five-star hotels, a pair of rings, expenses on his martial arts training, and meals and drinks here and there. He put in the money from the red envelope from the Yan family, but the number in his account still decreased significantly. Thinking about his coming trips to the States, he once again felt financial pressure and resumed the urge to make money.


      This 150,000 from the generous Sect came just in time to relieve the pressure on his wallet.


      "We are arriving at Jishun. The train will stop here briefly. Passengers who need to get off are advised to wait at the door..."


      Lou Cheng, who felt too lazy to play with his phone, stood up upon hearing the broadcast. He grabbed his backpack from the rack with one hand and passed by the stranger sitting next to him to the aisle to join the queue from the gate.


      Under the city of Jishun, Zhengyun Ancient City had become a popular tourist place in recent years. Surrounded by layers of hills, the transport was not that convenient with no train services, which helped to maintain its authentic feeling. To get there, visitors had to change buses at nearby towns like Jishun or hire an illegal private vehicle.


      Without delay, Lou Cheng crossed the street from the train station and bought a ticket for the next bus service in the transit center.


      20 minutes later, he boarded the bus and took an aisle seat in the rear out of habit.


      He looked at the empty window seat blankly and felt subsided.


      He moved to the window seat and pulled the curtain to block the blinding sunshine.



      Then he leaned against the backrest and closed his eyes, thoughts drifting in his head.


      From the footsteps and the vehicle's minor vibrations, he heard passengers getting on and filling up the bus.


      Someone stopped by his seat and he opened his eyes and turned his head before the stranger could talk.


      "Hi, can we swap seats?" A tall, slim, and bright man asked with a friendly smile. He pointed at himself and a pretty girl next to him. "I'd like to sit with my girlfriend. Please?"


      Lou Cheng gazed at them and fixed his black-edged glasses with a smile.


      "Sure. Where is yours?"


      "Thank you so much." Obviously delighted, the couple expressed their genuine gratitude. He pointed at a seat in the second to last row. "That's the only one left. I'm so sorry."


      "No problem. I'm by myself anyway..." Lou Cheng laughed as he walked over with his bag.


      The young couple didn't notice the tinge of emotion in his words and repeated their gratitude with their palms put together in front of their chest devoutly.


      Lou Cheng saw the empty aisle seat and the muscular passenger on the window seat in a tight, black t-shirt.


      "No wonder the couple asked me instead of him to swap seats..." thought Lou Cheng to himself with a sudden realization.


      The girl sitting behind the man in the black t-shirt opened a bottle and some water accidentally splashed forward.


      The last row was in a higher position, so the splash went towards the back of muscular man's head.


      In a flash, the man in black slightly moved to the side and the water landed on his seat.


      "Sorry, I'm so sorry." The girl in a t-shirt, shorts, and sandals grabbed the bottle tightly and stood up to apologize, very terrified.


      The muscular man's arms were thicker than her thighs!


      Glancing at her pretty face and attractive body, the man in black laughed out. "No big deal. Could you please give me some tissues?"


      "Of course." The girl took out a stack of napkins and handed it to the man.


      Lou Cheng watched carefully and nodded thoughtfully.


      "Absolute Reaction. The introversion of blood and qi. This must be a Dan stage martial artist..."


      It was impossible to tell his rank just by his looks.


      After wiping the seat, the man in black seized this opportunity to talk with the girl and her friend about Zhengyun Ancient City. It was obvious that he had been to many places and seen a lot. The two girls seemed very into this conversation.


      Lou Cheng put his bag on the rack and casually sat down next to the man in black. He glanced at him out of habit.


      The man in black withdrew his eyes from this 1.76 meters young man who appeared to be nerdy with the black-edged glasses and light build. He continued to chat with the two girls sitting behind him.


      Lou Cheng took a quick glance at him and felt impressed by his tanned skin, the lines around his eyes and mouth, and the short, bushy brows.


      Lou Cheng closed his eyes to rest and questions popped up in his head.


      "What a chance to meet a Dan stage fighter in Zhengyun Ancient City!


      "After all, Dan stage fighters are still humans, and humans like to travel. It's not that strange for him to come to Zhengyun Ancient City..."


      The three of them chatted like old friends, while Lou Cheng slept and played with his phone for 50 minutes until the bus arrived at the entrance to Zhengyun Ancient City under the blazing sun.


      Two sections of the old city wall stood there, adding a special local flavor to the gate. Lou Cheng found a spot and took a few photos with his mobile.


      Before he could send those photos out, the two girls in the last row approached with a sincere smile. "Hey, handsome boy, could you take a photo for us? One for the two of us and another for the three of us."


      The one in a long, cotton skirt pointed at the man in black.


      "Sure." Lou Cheng agreed with a calm grin.


      "A piece of cake..."


      He took over a digital camera from the girl in shorts and sandals and fiddled with it a bit before taking two steps back to get in the stance for photo shooting.


      Click... Click... Click... Lou Cheng pressed several times and completed the group photos.


      "Thank you!" the two girls shouted in unison as they took the camera back. They invited the man in black to check the photos together.


      Lou Cheng advanced towards the entrance and sent photos to Yan Zheke.


      "Just arrived at Weiyun. Pretty nice here."


      He added a sneer.


      "Someone just asked me to take photos for them. How dare they! An utter suicidal move! Can photos that were taken by me be good?"


      He looked for the address of the Li Family's Silverware Shop on his phone and followed the map left at the third intersection to reach an ancient sign.


      Instead of going into the silverware shop, Lou Cheng entered the bar across the street and ordered an iced coffee with tea. He then took a seat near the door and casually threw glances at the Li Family's Silverware Shop.


      We might know a man's exterior, but not his heart. Lou Cheng couldn't completely trust this total stranger, Li Wanquan, no matter what he would say. And the Army Formula couldn't be used to threaten or crush someone who didn't commit a crime or done something evil. Lou Cheng decided to ask about and gather as much information as possible.


      He sipped on his coffee and checked his phone for replies.


      The screen lit up, but there was no news feed in the conversation after the photos and messages he had just sent.


      Slightly disappointed, Lou Cheng thought about the time difference and then shook his head with a bitter smile.


      A dozen minutes later, the two girls from the last row of the bus walked by without the man in black.


      Lou Cheng rechecked his mobile again out of habit before getting up to pay at the cash register. He lowered his voice, saying,


      "That silverware shop seems nice. How is the owner?"


      The girl on till looked at his genuine look alertly before giving a vague answer,


      "Stingy and shameless..."


      Her voice decreased to a whisper that Lou Cheng, with exceptional hearing ability, could barely hear the last word.


      He repeated such inquiries sneakily and half of the people he asked refused to answer, while the other half kindly gave him a warning. Lou Cheng drew a rough image of Li Wanquan in his heart before finally stepping into the shop, where he immediately spotted the owner in his 50s with a distinctive pair of triangle eyes.


      "What do you want?" asked Li Wanquan in a lazy tone as Lou Cheng approached him, ignoring the salesmen in the front.


      Lou Cheng smiled and showed him a photo of the wine pot with the Dou character on his mobile, cutting straight to the point.


      "I heard this item came from your shop."


      "Yeah." Li Wanquan seemed greatly bucked, his eyes shining. "You're interested? I have more."


      "You have more?" Lou Cheng asked in surprise.


      Without a word, Li Wanquan ran to another counter and pulled out a small chest holding several rose pink wine pots with the Dou character.


      "Not like this. They don't have the feeling... You know, that kind of feeling..." Lou Cheng carefully selected words not to leak much information.


      Li Wanquan's face turned darker. "That one was made by my father, and these were by me."


      "Is your father still around?" Lou Cheng asked.


      "He passed away ten years ago. He made three wine pots like this. I was tricked into selling one really cheap..." Li Wanquan gave a dirty look.


      "Three wine pots?" Lou Cheng's heart missed a beat as he asked anxiously.


      " The one my master has is not the only one!


      "So others might have gotten it and this thread."


      Li Wanquan chuckled at his question.


      "You want to know how my father made these wine pots?"


      Lou Cheng narrowed his eyes and didn't answer.


      "You outlanders are cunning. Two groups already came with the same questions a while ago!" Li Wanquan revealed another shocking piece of information, and his hand made a money-counting gesture.




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     450 A Martial Arts Master
      "Two groups?" Lou Cheng looked blankly and silently judged his master.


      "This is a very unreliable move!


      "Isn't he afraid of losing the Fighting Formula to others? Did he have to wait until I became available?


      "Is testing his disciple more important than getting the Fighting Formula?


      "Err... My master might actually say yes to this question...


      "He never really cared much about the Nine Words Formula..."


      Lou Cheng put the thoughts and emotions aside and gazed at Li Wanquan with half a smile.


      "Two groups have come here for the pot before? And you are still here safe and sound? So you didn't lie to them."


      "Can I make money from lying to you? This is no joke!" answered Li Wanquan gruffly while making the same money-counting gesture again by rubbing his thumb and index finger. "I've heard about people working as consultants and making money by answering questions."


      "Bro, you are out... Get a Weibo account and everybody can make money by answering questions..." Lou Cheng's mouth twitched and he put on a smile. "How much?"


      "Ten grand!" Li Wanquan's eyes shone as he gave the big number.


      Lou Cheng chuckled. "I'd rather ask Aunt Xiu. Just heard them talking about some familiar outlanders lingering about looking for you recently. They might know where they are, right?"


      He made up a threatening lie based on some logical reasoning. If the two groups had gotten it, there would be nothing he could do and the military should take it over.


      However, if they hadn't succeeded, they would be in need of more information, so it's very likely they would return to question Li Wanquan and become familiar outlanders. It was impossible to tell if a person was lying through a phone call, since facial expressions and body motions were unavailable.


      Li Wanquan's eyes blinked and he forced a smile. "What do they know? Well, you seem like a genuine guy. I'll settle for a few hundred bucks."



      "Sure." Lou Cheng glanced at the counter and pointed at a delicate silver talisman. "800, including this."


      "Deal!" Li Wanquan took out the talisman quickly. "Here you go!"


      "... Damn it! That was fast... I feel tricked..." Lou Cheng accepted the talisman and took out his wallet to pay with cash. He didn't want to pay through his mobile so that his personal information would stay safe.


      Li Wanquan was all smiles with eight red 100 yuan bills in his hands. "Look for Old Nanny Qiu at 15 Wanhe Street. My dad was fooling around with her when my mom was still alive and often slept over. On the rare occasions where he came home, he usually brought my mom a wine pot he made himself. Yeah, the kind you are looking for."


      "Old Nanny Qiu at 15 Wanhe Street..." Lou Cheng memorized the name and the address before asking, "What kind of a woman is she?"


      "A mysterious one. She rarely leaves her home. Such a beauty in her youth..." Li Wanquan lowered his voice. "She has had many lovers over the years, and they all shiver when talking about her. My dad was the same..."


      Lou Cheng listened without a word. Afterward, he asked the residents in Zhengyun Ancient City who had answered his questions earlier to confirm Li Wanquan's story.


      Carrying his backpack, he followed the map on his phone towards Wanhe Street.


      This was a quiet back alley with houses that had been well maintained for over a century. Lou Cheng would've felt like a warrior in ancient times if the electricity wires and air conditioners could be ignored.


      As Lou Cheng got closer to No. 15, his hair stood up and he could feel many eyes on him in the dark.


      He passed Old Nanny Qiu's dwelling without stopping and looked about leisurely like a tourist.


      Those intense eyes were withdrawn and the door of the No. 15 house opened with a squeak. Lou Cheng turned around and saw the man in black from the same bus step out.


      His face was gloomy and his emotions were close to an explosion. He lowered his voice,


      "She's gone!"


      Abruptly, he burst into a laugh, loud and wild.


      "Hahah... Hahah..."


      The unbridled laugh echoed in the alley and ruined the tranquility and peace.


      Lou Cheng had no intention to cover his shock and acted like a curious spectator, taking a video of this random crazy man.


      Several enthusiastic and energetic youths ran out of the dark and surrounded the man in black. Lou Cheng's view was blocked.


      Almost one minute later, the man in black calmed down and panted heavily. One of the youths walked towards Lou Cheng in a showy manner, attempting to scare him away.


      Lou Cheng shook his head slightly and left at once.


      "Old Nanny Qiu is pretty strange indeed...


      "Seems like she is missing on purpose. How can I find her?"


      Ideas flashed in Lou Cheng's head and he began to understand why his master had put him on this task.


      "A martial artist can't stay in the ring all the time. It's important to learn to cope with complicated matters with martial arts, but I can't solely rely on it."


      …


      Lou Cheng didn't return to 15 Wanhe Street. Instead, he wandered around in Zhengyun Ancient City like a proper tourist, took many photos, tried a few local dishes, and beat around the bush to gather information. He met the two girls who sat behind Lou Cheng on the bus to Zhengyun but never saw the man in black again.


      He lied in bed with his phone around eight at night and browsed the local news aimlessly.


      Finally, the special ringtone he had set for Yan Zheke sounded and she sent a stretching emoji. "I have finally overcome the jet lag. I was sleepy all the time. Now I'm fully charged!"


      Then she added a smiley face with one hand covering its mouth. "Did they take another one after checking the photos you took for them?"


      Messages flooded in as she replied to Lou Cheng, typing rapidly.


      "I didn't look, but I guess so..." Lou Cheng began to share what he had experienced today delightedly and Yan Zheke responded actively whenever she had time. She sent a selfie over before heading out and asked proudly, "Cheng, how do I look?"


      She wore a pair of blacked-edged glasses similar to Lou Cheng's, which covered half of her pretty face. Her hair was tied up into a boring ponytail and her clothes were simple jeans and a plain t-shirt.


      "You don't have to look so old-fashioned." Lou Cheng chuckled.


      Yan Zheke used the working with a passion emoji. "Must! No distractions. Focus on study 100%. I'll work hard so I can graduate early and reunite with my Cheng soon."


      "Phew... I don't want you to get depressed." Lou Cheng was very touched.


      "I won't. Studying makes me happy!" Yan Zheke pushed up her sunglasses.


      The conversation went on and off until Lou Cheng's bedtime. The next morning, he got up half an hour earlier. He said good morning to Yan Zheke and went straight to Old Nanny Qiu's home at 15 Wanhe Street in a dark martial arts suit.


      He skipped the front gate and jumped into a neighboring yard fast like lightning in the dark silently.


      Lou Cheng climbed another wall and snuck into Old Nanny Qiu's home in hopes of looking for some traces of her whereabouts. It should be pretty safe after their actions yesterday.


      Lou Cheng landed on the ground and glanced through the yard in the dark, seeing many worn out bottles and pots accommodating water, plants, herbs, or disgusting excreta.


      The ground was not flattened with cement. After the heavy rainfall last night, the yard was messy with two ditches.


      Lou Cheng was approaching towards the door through the ditches and mud when it suddenly squeaked open. The noise was like a thunder striking at the peaceful dawn.


      The door opened and a blurry, ghostly figure bumped into Lou Cheng in the dark.


      Another martial artist came to explore this house before the sunrise like Lou Cheng.


      Lou Cheng was stunned. So was the blurry figure. He froze and then took a deep breath, attempting to take the initiative to perform the Force Concentration and open a way out.


      Lou Cheng's hair stood up and his Absolute Reaction took place. The astonishing Army Formula was drawn in his head, imposing and impressive.


      He didn't make a sound as he didn't want to expose himself. Instead, he blended the feeling into his spirit and gave it off as a terrifying bearing.


      The figure shivered, his right arm swollen and his fist frozen.


      Lou Cheng lowered his weight and withdrew before releasing his blood and qi. He threw his fist out like a hammer.


      Bam! A dull sound spread and the shadow hurried to withstand the attack, his body leaning backward immediately.


      Lou Cheng withdrew his right fist and borrowed strength to concentrate his qi and blood once again smoothly.


      Bang! His three punches and kicks knocked the enemy out.


      Lou Cheng took a quick look at Old Nanny Qiu's house and memorized everything before leaving via the same route. In less than ten seconds, he began his morning exercises.


      The shadow knocked over Old Nanny Qiu's dining table and felt desperate, about to give some dying kicks. However, when he finally got up, the enemy had vanished in the dark.


      The storm of strikes was like a dream.


      The shadow froze for a second and then took a deep breath. He then rushed out of Old Nanny Qiu's yard before the neighbors came for the noise.


      He made several detours in an alert manner before returning to the guesthouse he was staying.


      "Brother, how was it? Any discovery?" His junior brothers and sisters gathered up.


      The shadow was a sturdy young man of 26 or 27 years old. His face darkened. "Nothing. I met an expert..."


      "An expert?" a girl blurted out.


      "Yes!" The shadow nodded heavily as the memory hit him.


      He pulled the door open and saw a shadow standing outside in silence, his face blurry under the faint light and his body completely blended into the dark.


      Before the enemy made any move, he had already felt stuck in a hopeless situation as if surrounded by many on all sides. His body and mind shivered and his will to fight collapsed.


      The enemy's attacks came in waves and pushed him out of his stance within three or four bouts. He was terrified, feeling death approach.


      Then the enemy vanished as if he had never existed.


      Recalling the details, he sensed cold sweat on his back and felt his clothes dampen.


      "Hurry! Inform the Sect and request for a master!" he commanded hurriedly and briefly.


      One of his junior brothers frowned. "We haven't found Old Nanny Qiu yet. Isn't it too early to request for an elder?"


      "No, it will be too late when Old Nanny Qiu is found!" said the senior brother without any doubt.




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